A Singapore artist’s body of work is now on display as a part of a special exhibit, but it’s not only his signature batik paintings and metal etchings that are hanging from the walls. In the middle of the exhibit space, a classic car that the artist painted is parked for all to see and enjoy.
The artist, Singaporean Chieu Shuey Fook, painted the car as a part of a charity auction nearly thirty years ago. The painted beauty on wheels was borrowed from its current owner to be a part of the exhibit of Chieu’s works. The artist said he was surprised and delighted that the automobile’s colors have been so brightly preserved. Many tens of hours went into the design and execution of the car’s artsy paint job, and the end result is still impressive after all these years. The classic car is decorated in wild swirls of blues, yellows, oranges, reds, whites, blacks, and purples, making it seem like it leapt off a canvas or magazine page or childlike fantasy and straight into the exhibition. If driven in the streets today, it would certainly turn heads, though it is perhaps best preserved as what it is — a work of art.
Chieu is perhaps best known for his batik paintings, which account for his earliest works of art. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, he first worked in advertising. And when he realized that keeping and maintaining a full set of paints for his work was quite expensive, he turned to metal work, including etching, as a way to both cut costs and stand out from the rest of the artists emerging in Singapore at the time. Not many practiced cutting designs into metal sheets for a creative living, allowing Chieu to stand out and make his name in that genre.
Chieu has also recently compiled a book detailing his artistic history and creative works. He said it was the dream of his wife, who died several years ago, that he publish such a tome, giving honor to the hard work and masterpieces he has brought to life over the decades of his illustrious career. The art car is just a colorful blip in the long history of Chieu’s creative mind.
Painted art cars are just one facet of everything art can be. Perhaps you’ve always been interested in automobiles but are just realizing that you have an interest in art, as well. Painting a car — or murals of vehicles, or oil landscapes that include cars zooming down winding roads — might be right up your alley, opening a new avenue of creative expression. Consider signing up for an art class in your preferred art genre via SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a one-stop shopping website for all things art, connecting you with talented teachers who will help you complete art projects you’re most interested in.
To read more about the painted car and the rest of the art on exhibit, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/artwork-on-wheels-for-beautiful-singapore.