LUMEN | CELEBRATING THE BIRTH CENTENARY OF AN ARTS VISIONAIRE
James Khoo shares his thoughts while documenting the life of Bro Joe , together with fellow panellists on his right - Ms Koh Bee Liang , Mrs Shelley Ee and Dr Alfred Pang ( Photo : Mr Michael Ee )
On 12 July , SJI educators had the privilege of watching the “ Brother Joe ” documentary , as well as being engaged in a dialogue session with the filmmaker Mr . James Khoo of The Curious Pangolin film company , two former associates of the late Brother Joseph – Ms . Koh Bee Liang , a close friend and the founder of ArtGlass Singapore , as well as Mrs Shelley Ee , his former A-level art student . The session was moderated by distinguished Lasallian scholar and SJI alumnus Dr . Alfred Pang ( Class of 1992 ). The session evoked many memories for some senior staff members who also recalled and shared their encounters with Brother Joseph .
The panel shared the many Lasallian values they saw in Brother Joseph from the documentary or based on their past encounters with Brother Joseph . His former art student , Mrs Ee shared , “ Bro Joe was never just a teacher but for others , not for himself alone . He had sown so many seeds over the years , and the number of people he had invited to the exhibitions … The students would have blossomed over the years .”
Ms Koh Bee Liang , who encountered Brother Joseph as an adult student in 1984 when she was interning at a glass studio , shared how he was so nurturing , like a grandfather . A decade after their first meeting when she returned to Singapore with a baby and without a job , she made a call to see Brother Joseph and showed him her modest portfolio and he said “ your talent is in figure art . Our chapel needs a stained glass .”
A giant ‘ Black Hole ’ sculpture by Brother Joseph that stands tall at the Lasalle College of the Arts to welcome visitors ( Photo : Eliza )
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