Two Three Six
Chen Wei Meng
Two Three Six features 10 sublime paintings of the Terengganu coast by the artist Chen Wei Meng.This exhibition being the culmination of more than two years of work and saw the artist spending 8 months travelling by car living, eating, and breathing his magnificent homestate. Armed with over 30 sketch books filled with pages of drawings, over a thousand photographs and a mindful of memories from his hiatus in paradise, it is not surprising that works that he has made for this exhibition are overflowing with the spirit and essence of the splendor of Terengganu.
Chen Wei-Meng’s ‘muse’ is Terengganu.
The title of the exhibition, Two, Three, Six (236) being the approximate measure of the coastal line of Terengganu, from Kuala Besut to Kemaman in kilometers.
Born in Dungun in 1965,Chen Wei-Meng spent his formative years living and growing up in and around the small towns of Terengganu. His love affair with Terengganu began as a child as he grew up living and playing on the beaches and throughout his life he has always felt a need to document its everchanging character, moods and vistas.
The beauty of Chen Wei Ming’s works have to be seen up close and personal as he painstakingly paints each blade of grass and every grain of sand, in a bid to take us to that place, to show-off to us the absolute purity of this glorious land. His emotional connection with this land is evident as seen in his breath-taking canveses which manage to capture the dramatic weather changes of the east coast, but at the same time also emanate with a pervasive sense of solitude and serenity.
As the artist aptly says, “as a native of Terengganu, I have an absolute sentimental attachment to this land. I am grateful to have the ability to paint, so that I can interpret what I see and feel in my paintings.My paintings are truly my statement. Nature always gives as it only needs a little effort to be aware of it. I have an acute sense of the observation of nature and I believe once our heart is quiet and calm, everyone can see the beauty in nature. I don’t use knowledge to paint – I use my eyes to judge and my instinct to lead. The painting process involves seeing and instinct, as it is an interaction of paints to create an illusion of space on a plane surface.”
Two Three Six features at Wei-Ling Gallery from 3rd June -24th June 2009.
Online catalogue 1
Online catalogue 2
Art Monthly Australia June Issue #220
Read catalogue essay by Kelvin Chuah
Traversing Terengganu through paintings
Artist paints vivid pictures of his home state
Review: Two Three Six, by Chen Wei Meng at Wei-Ling Gallery
Terengganu Immortalised by Viimala Seneviratne