 | | Man from down under |
A swimmer surfaces from the water in what appears to be the floor of a school hall; a concrete building column sprouts buttress roots as it connects with the earth. These surreal images of “places that cannot exist” are just two of the photo exhibits in “30th Feb” - the sixth and latest solo photo exhibition held recently by local fine art photographer, Chow Chee Yong.
One of only three Singaporeans to have their photographic prints acquired by Japan’s prestigious Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Yamanashi, Chee Yong’s latest show has everything to do with making the impossible possible.
A photography lecturer in the Visual Communication diploma course at Temasek Polytechnic, Chee Yong has dedicated himself to helping students achieve the impossible through his photography classes – something he didn’t have the benefit of when he first started out in photography.
Chee Yong recalls the promise he made to himself after he was turned away by a professional photographer who wanted to protect his own rice bowl, “I can never forget that day. I told myself, with such attitude, the local photography scene could never flourish. So, I reminded myself that I would have to give back to society through education if ever I am capable enough.”
Determined to make a success of himself, Chee Yong started to learn photography on his own from books. Later on, he started pursuing visual communication by taking up graphic design courses whilst still in the army. Now armed with a Masters in Art, Chee Yong’s triumphs over rejections and setbacks has enabled him to understand the different problems his students encounter when they work on their projects.
“My experience helps me to guide them better and make their experience at TP closer to the industry. My style of photography requires one to imagine and dream of different solutions or ideas. The ideas may not always work, but it doesn’t matter as the more ideas we have, the better the mind becomes.”
True to his word, Chee Yong’s photographs reflect the power of imagination and reveal the various influences that surrealists and artists like Salvador Dali, MC Escher, Rene Magritte, and Andy Warhol have had on his work.
The 24 pieces from “30th February” also mark a milestone in Chee Yong’s career. After more than 20 years in photography and having taken part in more than 30 exhibitions throughout Asia and the United States, Chee Yong has published his first hardcover photograph book - a 72-page collection of never-before-seen images also entitled “30th Feb”.
Besides a large body of compelling work, perhaps the biggest legacy that Chee Yong is still creating is the countless number of students he has nurtured and inspired.
See more of Chee Yong’s photographs here.
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