After a rare disorder caused Wesley Seah to lose all of the sight in one eye and more than half in the other, he turned to art as a way to cope. Art didn’t always welcome him back.
He laughed as he described his background in creative pursuits, having thoroughly flunked traditional art classes in school. And even when he did decide to give painting another try after losing the majority of his eyesight, he failed again. His sight was so poor that he wasn’t sure how big the canvas was, or even if he was leaving paint on it. The end result was that the painting surface beneath the canvas was mostly covered with paint while the canvas wasn’t.
It wold’ve been easy for Seah to admit defeat, but he never did. Instead, with good humor and persistence, he learned how to paint in other ways that would allow him to succeed. Instead of relying on his eyes to tell him how he was painting, he relied on touch. He keeps track of the pressure he exerts on the brush to understand what he’s painting, and the thickness of his brushstrokes. The texture of the surface he is painting on is also a good indication for the direction of his brush. Seah also uses twists in his wrists and fingers to further express himself. He said that many people who observe his paintings tell him he uses different styles based on the feelings he is experiencing. For example, if he’s upset about something, Seah will generally use thick, heavy brushstrokes to express it.
Now, Seah has fully embraced calligraphy as his artistic genre of choice. The weighted, measured brushstrokes of ink on paper have enabled him to create minimalistic, gorgeous works. One calligraphy piece features an elegant lion flowing forth from the character. Another is stark and graceful, perfectly positioned in the middle of the paper.
The fact that Seah didn’t give up on painting, even when art didn’t come easily to him with his eyesight intact, is a telling lesson for other people. If Seah can succeed and thrive as an artist with his sight hindered, then who’s to say that other eyesight-impaired individuals can’t succeed in other pursuits? Seah said he hoped that everyone from executives who make hiring decisions to people with various disabilities take his story to heart.
No matter what your creative background or artistic ability, SGArtClass.com is sure to feature an art class in a genre that will teach and inspire you. From Chinese ink painting to portrait drawing and everything in between, SGArtClass.com is a one-stop shopping website for all things art, including opportunities to enroll in lessons. Whether you’ve already had basic art classes in school or you’ve never picked up a paint brush before, expert teachers will be on hand to lead you in projects that interest you.
To read more about Wesley Seah and his artwork, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/art-as-a-form-of-self-expression.