KUCHING, March 24 — The Hoan Gallery has held an art preview of one of the best local artists, Bong Shin Siong, and his enormous piece of artwork called Flora and Fauna of Borneo.
A special preview session held at the gallery located in the La Promenade Mall along the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway here yesterday was attended by the event’s guest-of-honour, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who is the state Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts.
Bong’s enormous watercolour masterpiece is painted on a single scroll, measuring 9.84 metres long with over 132 species of Borneo’s flora and fauna.
The art piece, said the 68-year-old artist from Lundu, depicts Borneo’s rich biodiversity which brings back his childhood memories.
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“In my younger days, I had the opportunity to see hornbills and other wildlife roaming around freely in Lundu, and these are my fond memories,” he said, adding that he had been on this art project throughout 2023.
As a second-generation artist, Bong attributed much of his creative journey to his father, the late Bong Sho Min, who served as his initial and most influential teacher.
Hoan Gallery director Hoan Kee Huang, meanwhile, expressed his admiration for Bong’s remarkable art, noting its exceptional quality as a profound testament to his immense talent.
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“Flora and Fauna of Borneo could be one of Sarawak’s most important artworks, and in fact, it could be one of the region’s most outstanding ones that showcase the natural beauty of Borneo.
Adding on, he said the enormous art piece would be displayed for the public once they had engaged the local craftspeople to design its frame.
“This piece deserves to be in the museum. As artists, it is all our dreams for Sarawak to have an art gallery and for it to contain treasures like the Flora and Fauna of Borneo,” he added.
At the event, Abdul Karim was also brought on a tour to view the art creations titled Hidden Gems: The Life Works of Chong Liew Syn, a solo show by the founder of the Sarawak Fine Arts School.
The exhibition marked the gallery’s opening show, following last year’s successful showcase of Alena Murang’s Colour of the Highlands solo show.
For further details, visit hoangallery.com website. — The Borneo Post
