JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN
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classmate in Primary Five who could draw cowboys , and I envied him because he drew with such ease ”.
What may surprise readers is that Mr Chong did not attend art classes as a student in SJI from 1958 to 1960 but instead drew on his experience in teaching art after joining the LaSalle brothers . “ I practised Art and taught Art as well . I did not go to an Art School , but it was by my own effort that I learnt how to carve wood and stone .” Only later did he specialise in sculpting while teaching in St . Patrick ’ s School . “ I had to teach the eight “ O ” Level Students at St . Patrick ’ s to carve wood . Then when Brother Joseph McNally was the principal , St . Pat ’ s had a lot of Angsana Trees . The trees were being cut down for reclaimed land ( Marine Parade ) to be built . So Brother Joseph suggested that the students use the wood for carving . So we carved wood submissions instead of the traditional paint works . I could paint and draw but I had an inclination towards sculpting ever since , and I honed this skill . In fact , my first sculpture was a primitive looking human torso with barely any features . Sculpting is an art form that has to be reckoned with space .”
He may now be referred to as ‘ Cultural Medallion Winner , Mr Chong Fah Cheong ’ but in
But at the end of the day , recognition and awards are secondary .
I would still pursue what I am doing despite all this acclaim .
the early days being regarded as an artist alone did not sit comfortably with him . “ Initially , I had a sense of unease just by calling myself an artist . I also never felt as accomplished as the artists that were featured when visiting exhibitions . I was not only inspired but humbled by others ’ work .” Japanese sculptor Isamu Noguchi , in particular , influenced Mr Chong because his forms were very oriental and minimalist , a stylistic feature that Mr Chong gravitated towards .
We also learned more about the elaborate and painstaking process of designing and putting together a sculpture . “ Firstly , I will make a proposal to the customer together with my sketches of the concept of the sculpture . Then a marquette ( model ) of the piece would be created to give the customer a 3-D perspective of the piece .
Some pieces such as Another Day ( The coolies ) require the lost wax process of casting to be made … The lost wax process is considered casting whereas carving is different . Carving requires the removal of material while casting consists of the addition of material .”
Chong Fah Cheong
Mr Chong proceeded to give us a short tour of his studio , showing us a particular piece he had been working on . It was a large wood carving the shape of an abacus with consumer brand logos carved onto each bead such as Nike and Marlboro . The name of the piece , Panem nostrum quotidianum , is carved onto the side which means Our Daily Bread , an allusion to The Lord ’ s Prayer . Mr Chong used this large structure as a social commentary on consumerism in today ’ s society , raising the question : what do we worship ? “ I treat my works like poetry , there will always be an underlying meaning to each art piece but if people interpret ( a work ) a different way , then it is their way of seeing things .”
He was also able to share with us a few details about his sculpture for SJI ’ s Malcolm Road campus . “ It will be a collaborative piece that will be done with the students so they share a part in creating the work which would make this sculpture more meaningful for the school and Josephians alike . For instance , I collaborated with undergraduate students on the sculpture that is now being displayed at the Kent Ridge NUS campus . It was their idea and I helped them carve , thus I would like to use the same approach for this sculpture . I would like to showcase all the activities that the school has in this sculpture which will in turn reflect the spirit of the school .”
Meeting Mr Chong and talking to him makes us realise he is still brimming with so much passion . We cannot but look forward to seeing more of his sculptures dotted not just around Singapore but on our very own SJI campus at Malcolm Road soon .
Facing page ( top ): Gregory engrossed listening to Mr Chong ’ s stories at his workspace
Facing page ( bottom ): Mr Chong with his Cultural Medallion award
This page ( top ): Mr Chong ’ s First Generation by the Singapore River
This page ( centre ): Another Day ( The Coolies ) at the West Wing of Singapore Arts Museum