02arts&culture

1、0001MonasticreflectionsofanartistMonasticreflectionsofanartistbyMAJIECHIEWTheStar(Malaysia)Oct202004WhetheritisthroughhiswhimsicalpleasingartwkwritingsonmonkhoodKeanmonkRevWonSunghasopenedawindowtoofferglimpsesofwhatmona

2、sticlifeislikeatleastwhathisserenemindseyesees.MesmerisedbyRevWonsartwkMAJIECHIEWchatswiththemingyoungmonk.Monksareperceivedtoliveacloisteredreligiouslife.Withinthefourwallsoftheirmonasterytheyaredevotedtostudythesutrase

3、ngageinprayermeditation.WhatelsedotheydoHowdotheyspendtheirleisureWhatishappinesstothemRevWonSungautographingoneofhisbooks.Apartfromhistalentfarthehaswritteneightbookswhichhavesoldthreemillioncopieswldwide.Hsomeboyishloo

4、kingKeanmonkRevWonSung32isdubbedBuddhistWldsLittlePrincetheacterofgreatpurityinnocencecreatedbythewriterillustratAntoineDeSaintExupery.Despitethefameheneversoughttheinternationallyrenownedartistwritercontinuestoamazemany

5、withhisdelightfulwks.Inallhispaintingsplumpcherubicyoungmonksgoabouttheirdailychesinthemonasteryplayingsmilingenjoyinggreenteagazingatthemoonthestars.Someareimaginativewksthatdwellinfantasytherealmofdreams.Eventhemonksha

6、vetheirflightsoffantasyridingonamythicaldragonagiantttoiseflyingonthebackofacrane.Achildmonkhavingarompwithafriendlytigermagpiesappeartobeanimaginativepiecebutthesedaysitcanberealmonkshavebeenfilmedwalkingwithtigersinasa

7、nctuaryinThail.RevWoncitesthreereasonsfchoosingtodepictonlychildmonks:Theymakegoodsubjectsbecausetheyareinnocentsaytruethings.Theyopenupthemselveseasilytheyareeasytotrust.Youngmonksalsomakeusreflectonchildhoodyouthatimeo

8、finnocence.Wereminisceaboutthepastcherishthosegoodolddays.Lastlylittlemonksarecutefunny.AspeopletaketosuchimageskindlyRevWonthinksthattheywilleasilyunderstthethemesofhisart.Bypaintingyoungmonkshefeelstheclosenesswiththem

9、liketheyarehisbrothers.BeautifulMindofamonkstingbyadowaywithintricatewoodcarvedmotifsisthemostexpensivepieceathisBeautifulMindartexhibitionwhichisbeinghelduntilOct30atMetroFineArttheLegendHotelGroundFloArcadeKualaLumpur.

10、MetroFineArtmanagerKimKohhadinvitedRevWontoexhibitinKualaLumpurafterbeingcaptivatedbyhispaintingsofyoungmonks.shewassurprisedwhenthefamousmonkhumblycametovisitherbefeagreeingtostagehisartexhibitionhere.RevWonimpledStarTw

11、onottorevealthepriceofhispaintingsbecausehewantspeopletocomeviewhiswksftheirownmerit.Iwantpeopletocometomyexhibitionenjoymywks.Itsfeverybodynotjustftherichhesays.Otherthanpaintingswhicharefsalehealsohasprintsofiginalwks.

12、Evenstudentshesayscantakehomepiecesofhisartwk(prints)astheyarealsoavailableasbookmarkspostcardsaswellasstationerysets.Printsofhiswksareindeedveryaffdablearealmostsoldout.AplumpcherubicyoungmonksayingalittleprayerinDevoti

13、on.Besideslittlemonkswithsmilingfaceshehasincpatednatureinhispaintings.TherearealsomeserenescenessuchasMoonofPrayerdepictingamonkwithclaspedhsbythewindowgazingatthefullmoon.Achubbymonkinhisrobesalongstringofprayerbeadsin

14、ThreeThousBow(s).Devotionshowsamonksayingaprayer.Blissfulsleepappearstobeafavouritetheme.InWithDucksaboymonkishavinganapovercoolwatersobliviousoflittleducksswimmingnearby.IchoosetopaintaboutmonksbecauseIamamonk.Somepeopl

15、esayOhyourethefamouspainterDuringthefirstthreeyearsasamonkWonmissedhisparents.Wheneverhefelthomesickhewouldcreepoutofthetempletousethepublictelephonetocallhome.FthenextfiveyearshestudiedatCentralMonasticUniversityinSeoul

16、(fmonks)wherehemajedinsocialwelfare.BeautifulMindfeaturing56iginalwksofRevWonSungisbeingheldatMetroFineArtattheLegendHotelGroundFloArcadeKualaLumpuruntilOct30(MonFri11am6.30pmSatSun10.30am7pm).RelatedLinks:Gallery:Monkse

17、yeviewMonasticlifefraughtwithchallenges0002ChineseBuddhistsculpturesseenewlightChineseBuddhistsculpturesseenewlightByALICETHSONTheKansasCityStarOct252004KansasCityKansas(USA)Deepvioletwallsanewlypaintedwhitebarrelvaulthe

18、raldadramaticreinstallationoftheearlyChineseBuddhistsculpturecollectionattheNelsonAtkinsMuseumofArt.ItssomethingIvewantedtodof25yearssaidthemuseumsdirectCEOMarcWilsonaspecialistinChineseartmastermindofthereinstallation.Y

19、oucouldntseeanythingbefehesaidashegazedaroundthenewlyrenovatedgallery.Theroomwasdreary.(Thesculptures)werelineduplikebowlingpins.Itsthebestcollectioninthecountrybut(had)thewstdisplay.Withalltheconstructionrenovationgoing

20、onelsewhereonthemuseumcampustheChinesegallerieswerenotbudgetedfabigfix.ButtheideathatthemuseumswldrenownedChinesecollectionwouldnotlookitsbestfthe2007openingofthenewBlochBuildingmovedWilsontoaction.Hismissionistospruceth

21、ingsupatminimalcost.FtheChinesesculptureherecycledcarpetinglightfixturesfromtheoldloangalleriesdownstairs.Heremovedthewallsconcesbutretainedtheexistingwoodpedestals.Wilsondesignedthenewsteppedinteriwallsthatcreatenicheli

22、kesettingsftheobjectsavastimprovementoverthebowlingpinsetup.Thinmarblestripscapthenewwallsechoingthenewlypolishedmarbleofthegallerybaseboards.ThetrimstripscamefromoldmarblepillarsthatweresalvagedslicedWilsonsaid.Mostofth

23、emethan60ChineseBuddhistsculpturesonviewintherefurbishedgalleryweredisplayedtherebefe.HeaddedfivepiecesfromstageseveralpreviouslydisplayedinotherChinesegalleriesthehallway.Wilsonwantedtomakethecollectionmeaccessibleunder

24、stabletovisitsencouragethemtohavedialogueswithindividualpieces.Thelargewksaredisplayedwithoutvitrinesalthoughsmallerpiecesincludingmethanadozengiltbronzesculpturesdoappearbehindglass.Abouthalfofthesesmallbronzesweregiven

25、totheNelsonbyitsseconddirectLaurenceSickmanthemuseumsfirstcuratofientalartthemanresponsiblefsecuringmanyofitsChinesetreasures.Oneofthemoststrikingchangesinthegalleryisthelighting.IwantedsoftlightWilsonsaid.Ididntwanttobl

26、owthefmawaylosethenuanceofsurface.TheonedissonantnoteinthisinvitingnewschemeisthefluescentbarilluminatingtheearlysixthcenturyreliefProcessionoftheEmpressasDonwithHerCourtonthegallerysfarwestwall.Mountedalongthesideofthis

27、6by9footwkthefixturecontributesadaylighteffectevokingthewaythedarkgraylimestoneslabmighthaveappearedintheBinyangCavesatLongmen.Yetinthiscontextthewhitelightseemsharshitdoesnthelpthatthefluescenttubeisvisiblefromsomevanta

28、gepoints.ButtheproblemwillbefixedWilsonsaid.Thewksinthegalleryrangefromthefifthtothe10thcenturieswhenBuddhismwhichiginatedinIndiabecamedeeplyensconcedinChinesesocietyhadadramaticimpactonChineseart.Fonethingitencouragedth

29、ecreationoflargescalepermanenteffigiesofitsdeitiesinacountrywheresculpturehadnotbeenamajartfm.FanothertheseweredeitiesyoucouldreallytalktoasWilsonpointsoutinthestruggletoattainreleasefromthecycleofsufferingdeathrebirthwh