Ch’ng (middle), in his capacity as Penang Art Society president, visited the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China.
PENANG’S art and tourism sectors will receive a great boost if plans to hold an International Art Expo next year come to fruition.
Spearheading the effort is prominent local businessman and artist Datuk Ch’ng Huck Theng in his capacity as chairman of the Penang Art Society, the country’s oldest art organisation.
“We are in discussions with the relevant agencies and are targeting to hold the expo in November 2023.
“It would comprise four elements – exhibitions, talks and conferences, art awards and a gala dinner,” Ch’ng shared, adding that it would coincide with the society’s 70th anniversary.
The 50-year-old is a great champion of Penang’s art scene, as he believes it is one of the state’s best assets and something that can bring in tourist dollars.
Highlighting prominent examples like the London and Venice Art Biennales or Art Basel Hong Kong, he said they drew collectors and art lovers from across the world every time they were held.
“Our art can be marketed as a tourism product or soft export.
“This will create interest overseas and attract art lovers to come and experience it for themselves here.
“Art is more than just something beautiful to look at. It is also the soul of a nation like Malaysia, where diverse cultural influences result in something distinct that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world,” Ch’ng pointed out.
Holding a major art expo will also cultivate better art appreciation locally, especially among youth.
This, he said, was much-needed as school curriculum and traditional mindsets do not prioritise art.
“We must explore other avenues to spark people’s passion. If locals aren’t interested, it is difficult to excite foreigners,” reasoned Ch’ng, an award-winning artist whose works are in the collections of prominent art institutions worldwide.
Last year, his bronze sculpture Embracing Oneself Again was selected for the London Art Biennale final 450 exhibits, making him one of only two Malaysians who made the cut out of almost 10,000 submissions worldwide.
Ch’ng, who received his datukship in July, picked up art while doing his master’s degree in management in Australia in the mid-1990s.
He spent weekends learning how to sculpt ceramics and paint sceneries to break the monotony of classes.
He is one of the principals behind the 166-year-old biscuit and sesame oil manufacturer Ghee Hiang, and is also involved in tourism in his capacity as Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) chairman.
He started magazines like FREZH, EZ Malaysia, iNPenang and EZ Australia, and later founded the CHT Network which promotes business collaborations among various industry players.
The latter led to the biennial CHT International Awards and iNPenang International Awards which recognise outstanding local and international establishments.
More recently, he started working on Top Penang F&B, a project promoting local farm-to-fork dining.
“I believe in connecting people and building long-term relationships based on integrity, sincerity and fairness. This is how everyone wins.
“Malaysia may be a small country by size, but it punches above its weight internationally because we have capable people.
“We just need to give them a platform to shine,” added Ch’ng, who credits his father as the most important influence in his life.
