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SINGAPORE: Dr Ho Kah Leong is someone who lives in the past. At least on certain Sundays, that is.
The 71-year-old ex-Member of Parliament shared with TODAY how he and a few of his artist friends would head down to Pulau Ubin or any other rustic places in Singapore to paint.
“At one time, it was almost every Sunday. We’d sit there for certain scenes and if we couldn’t finish(the painting), we’d go back for a second or a third sitting.”
Like the old Impressionists who preferred to paint al fresco in order to capture a scene in all its natural beauty, Dr Ho is one of those “old school” artists who would rather be out and about painting.
“Some young artists prefer to paint at home. I only paint outdoors. I don’t like to paint from photographs. (When you’re) painting outside, you immerse yourself in the environment. It’s very relaxing.”
That’s how his new solo show, Poetic Ubin, came about. The exhibit, which runs from Oct 4 to 19 at the Black Earth Art Museum, features 20 paintings of idyllic scenes from Pulau Ubin — from the jetty and mangrove swamps, to the many lake quarries and, of course, those kampung houses.
The exhibit coincides with the launch of a 2009 calendar featuring the same paintings, of which proceeds will go to the B’Well charity for senior citizens.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Dr Ho has been painting Pulau Ubin for at least two decades.
Its charm? “It reminds me of Singapore in the ’50s and ’60s.”
Call him sentimental, but that’s not just the only thing that fuels his artistic drive. It’s also the urge to capture a bit of Singapore’s past, in oil and acrylic.
Last year, he held an exhibit titled The Last Kampung of Singapore — Lorong Buangkok.
“All these places are still very rustic, you see? Where else in Singapore can you find such places? Of course, Pulau Ubin is slowly developing and very soon, these kampung scenes will vanish,” said the soft-spoken man.
Apart from these two places, Dr Ho has also painted other scenes such as Kampong Siglap and Kampong Sembawang. His most vivid kampung memory was that of Kampong Fatima.
“Some of the houses were built by the sea, so you’ll have water, houses on stilts and fishing boats ... We miss that one.” Seeing the blank look on our faces, Dr Ho explained: “That was at Woodlands, where all our checkpoints are.”
The self-confessed kampung boy had also grown up in one: Kampong Batak in Jalan Eunos.
These days, he lives in a semi-detached house in Eunos, but it’s one that’s very different from his childhood neighbourhood.
“From young, I have this affection for Malay kampungs. It was very charming,” said Dr Ho, who has three children. His daughter Hui May won first place for the photography category at last year’s UOB Painting of the Year.
‘I SQUEEZED TIME’
Landscape changes, however, aren’t the only thing Dr Ho has experienced. The artist, who’s considered as part of the second generation of the Nanyang School of artists, has himself seen the art scene change. And played a big role in it as well, having been principal of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts from 1997 to 2003. (So remember, dear students, next time you bump into Dr Ho, thank him for your spiffy looking new campus at Bencoolen street — he helped raise funds for it).
“The mentality of parents now are different from what they were before. Before, they thought that if their children can’t do anything (worthwhile), they go and do art. Now they know that doing art can bring you good fortune if you are really talented and innovative,” said Dr Ho, who’s currently a senior consultant at a publishing company.
Of course, this artist was far from not being able to “do anything”. In fact, having successfully pursued a hobby for more than 50 years is quite a feat, considering that for a greater part of his life, Dr Ho was heavily involved in politics. Not only was he an MP for Jurong for 30 years (since 1966 to 1996), he also served as Parliamentary Secretary and Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the early ’80s until 1997.
Even then, he continued painting, despite tight schedules that involved attending functions on weekends, which according to him was the busiest time for politicians. “I just squeezed time for painting, sometimes on Saturdays or a few free Sundays. When there was free time, then do, lah. Just to keep up the interest.”
In fact, Dr Ho revealed that he would even bring along his materials for bouts of on-the-spot paintings when he went for conferences or meetings abroad.
Since retiring from public office, he’s been active with group as well as solo exhibits, holding over 10 shows since 1990. His works are found in private collections from individuals as well as by institutions like the CPF Board, UOB Bank, and Taipei Art Museum.
Was it a rare thing to be an MP who paints back in the day? Dr Ho smiled mysteriously. “I’m one of the few.”
Poetic Ubin runs from Oct 4 to 19 at Black Earth Art Museum, 352 Joo Chiat Rd. From Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 9pm. Organised by Tembusu Art Gallery. For enquiries, call 9733 1027. - TODAY/ar
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