Enriching exposure: (From left) Chan, Prof Cheng and Prof Lee unveiling one of Prof Cheng’s artworks at the ceremony. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: University students should learn about fine arts such as painting, music and drama in addition to studying their core subjects, says Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy.
This will help them to improve their personal development and growth, he added.
With this in mind, Chan said Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) is creating an art museum at its Setapak campus.
Named the Cheng Haw Chien Museum of Art, it will house and exhibit 400 artworks donated by world-renowned Chinese painting master Prof Dr Cheng Haw Chien.
Chan, who is TAR UMT board of governors chairman, said the museum will serve as a base to educate its students on fine arts.
“Many established western universities have their own art museums. Their students may be studying engineering, space science or medicine, but they are also exposed to fine arts.
“The art museum at TAR UMT will be a starting point for our students to appreciate beauty, helping them become more creative.
“This opportunity will provide valuable training and enable them to contribute to discourses on fine arts, besides their core disciplines,” he said at the signing ceremony of the agreement with Prof Cheng at the varsity’s campus yesterday.
Chan, who is also TAR UMT Alumni Council chairman, described Prof Cheng’s donation of the artworks and the setting up of the art museum as “a beginning”.
From here, he added, exhibitions of other artists, talks and seminars on fine arts will be held to promote fine art education.
“This is a milestone development for the varsity after 55 years. Our long-term aspiration is to increase humanistic value and knowledge,” he said.
Prof Cheng said studying art doesn’t necessarily mean a person has to become an artist as learning about arts can enhance people’s cultural refinement and humanistic interest.
“Studying art, especially in the excellent environment at TAR UMT, will play a significant role in promoting arts and facilitating exchanges with both the international community and the art world in the future,” he said.
Prof Cheng thanked TAR UMT for hosting his artworks, adding that for artists, having a good home for their artworks is a very comforting and gratifying experience.
Born in Penang, Prof Cheng had served as president of the Central Academy of Arts in Malaysia and has held over 150 solo exhibitions globally. He is now a visiting professor at Renmin University of China.
His 400 donated art pieces to TAR UMT cover a diverse range of subjects, including florals, birds, landscapes, fruits and animals, executed in various techniques such as monochrome, colour and freestyle painting.
Visitors will also get a closer look at his calligraphy works. Many of these calligraphic pieces feature his poems and couplets.
The donation also includes Prof Cheng’s collections of calligraphy and paintings from his mentors and friends.
TAR UMT president Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei, who signed the agreement on behalf of the university with Prof Cheng, said the art museum will be set up in a new building at the campus after its construction is completed next year.
“The museum will not only exhibit collections but also display other artworks from time to time as we engage with other artists.
“We intend to use it as a platform to promote fine art appreciation among students and the public as well,” he said.
Chan also said that the university will train curators for the specialised job of preserving and maintaining the artworks.
“We will send a number of university staff for training and courses to ensure the artworks are in good hands.
“It’s not easy to maintain a piece of artwork. It requires a lot of training, and we are prepared to provide that,” he said.
