HO Chee Lick (Dr) 何自力
Visual Arts,
Accession Number 003321
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 12
Total Reels
- Lye Soo Choon 赖素春
Interviewer
- 12:20:28
Total Running Time
- Mandarin
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 12
Metadata
- 21 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:58:14
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Family background. Father was Cantonese Broadcaster. Stayed in Chinatown, how he started to draw Chinese wayang (opera) characters. Learnt piano, joined school choir. Songs and music he liked, elaborate with examples. Talked about his piano teachers and how they taught him, teacher he preferred. How he moved from music to visual arts. Singing competitions that he took part. Chen Wen Hsi陈文希 was his art teacher in Chinese High School, started painting. Talked about parents’ friends who were artists and had influenced him. Recalled attending Chen Wen His’s art lessons. Compared the differences in painting style between Chen Wen Hsi and Chen Chong Swee 陈宗瑞. Personally preferred Chen Wen His’s style. Recalled both art teachers bringing students out for painting, elaborated with examples on the differences in their way of teaching. Why he moved away from music and leaned towards painting. Started with pencil and charcoal, then to water-colours painting. Also touched on oil painting and Chinese ink painting. How he painted water-colour and oil painting.
Remarks
Also interviewed on China's Cultural Revolution Accession: 003308.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 2 of 12
Metadata
- 21 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:58:01
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Used his own way and experiences in painting. Felt that he could paint but could not teach painting. How Chen Wen Hsi陈文希 painted and how he learnt the way of painting from Chen Wen Hsi. Talked about characteristics of water-colour, oil and Chinese ink painting. Commented on Chen Chong Swee’s 陈宗瑞 paintings and his Nanyang style. Talked about Singapore pioneer artists and Nanyang style. Knew that he would not be able to paint when he left Singapore for China in late 1960s. Recalled Chinese High School art exhibitions in 1965, how he came out with a theme of anti-Vietnam War. Described his anti-Vietnam War painting. Felt that paintings he did in 1960s had imitated his teachers and Ye Zhi Wei叶之威. Talked about Ye Zhi Wei and his painting. Felt that Singapore artists in 1950s and 1960s had contributed purely for art. Disappointed when he felt that Singaporean valued art in monetary term.
Remarks
Also interviewed on China's Cultural Revolution Accession: 003308.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 3 of 12
Metadata
- 21 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:46:39
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*How he felt when he found that Singaporean valued art in monetary term. Recalled an auction of art works that he attended, pricing was set according to number of awards that the artist had won. His views on how to value an art piece. Compared with pioneer artists who had focused only in their art work. Why he dropped the idea of becoming professional artist. Treated painting as hobby, changed in mind set in 1998. Returned to Singapore in 1990 and how he got to take part in Chinese Ink painting gatherings. Got to know Lim Tze Peng during the gatherings and went painting with him at Pulau Ubin in 1998. Talked about painting Pulau Ubin. Held a solo-exhibition “Expressing Ubin” at Soobin Art Gallery. Talked about type of painting during China Cultural Revolution. Paintings he drew during the Revolution when he was in China. He was asked to copy Cultural Revolution propaganda painting. How he felt when he was drawing propaganda painting. Recall few non-propaganda paintings that he drew during that period. How China painting was affected by Soviet Union.
Remarks
Also interviewed on China's Cultural Revolution Accession: 003308.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 4 of 12
Metadata
- 23 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:56:26
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Painting style in China during Cultural Revolution, non-traditional Chinese painting. Interviewee did not have formal training in painting style, used Chen Chong Swee 陈宗瑞 style when he was asked to paint propaganda painting. Felt that painting at that time was not a form of art. Stopped painting when he joined the “Down to the Countryside Movement” (上山下乡运动). Recalled the type of propaganda news he heard while he was at countryside, elaborated with examples. His involvement in exhibition that showcase the story of heroine Zhang Yong 张勇. Talked about the artists who drew the story of Zhang Yong. His views on music and model opera (样板戏) performed during the Revolution. Not familiar with Scar art (伤痕美术) as he was in US. Talked about auction of China art works, the worries he had. Elaborated with examples.
Remarks
Also interviewed on China's Cultural Revolution Accession: 003308.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 5 of 12
Metadata
- 25 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:57:34
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Did not practise drawing for three years when he joined the “Down to the Countryside Movement” (上山下乡运动) during China Cultural Revolution. Never thought of being an artist as art was for politic at that time. The danger for practicing painting during the Revolution. How he pay visit to senior artist in Nanning 南宁, after the Revolution in 1978-1981. Changes in frame of mind of the artists at that time. His changes when he went to US. Used sketching as a form to record what he saw and his life in US. Things that he drew, liked to draw back door and alley. Sketches he drew in US were small, realism style. How his painting was different from Chinese painting. Recalled using ink painting to draw four campus views for a restaurant. His friends helped him to hold a solo exhibition in US. How he got the chance to teach Chinese painting for US kids. Why he chose “cat” as the item to teach the kids.
Remarks
Also interviewed on China's Cultural Revolution Accession: 003308.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
