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Clement Cheng
4 Tangents
I am engaged in the expression of subjects which are matters of the mind and the heart, but which
the eye does not see. I believe these 'abstract' matters are the primal driving forces within us as
individuals. We feel happy because we sense certain abstract 'happy' emotions first, then, we
recall images of, say, an enchanting scenery. In this website, I attempt to illustrate my
appreciation for the language of abstraction.
My paintings aim to express and communicate my thoughts and sentiments on the world around
and within us. I hope my artwork would provoke the viewers to consider and examine their own
thoughts and sentiments.
In general, I avoid the use of images which are recognisable in the "physical world". Such
images, say a chair, takes the viewer almost immediately to the end of the imagination pathway.
On the other hand, an allegory or an imaginary object charts the starting point of the viewer's
imagination journey.
My paintings are not intended to be solely decorative or pretty. If they possess these qualities, it
is merely a happenstance arising from built-in reflexes. I believe visual art should speak to issues
of humanity and human consciousness. Visual art should not simply be colour matches for sofas
and couches, in the same way that great literature is not just about light-weight romance.
I am engaged in the expression of subjects which are matters of the mind and the heart, but which
the eye does not see. I believe these 'abstract' matters are the primal driving forces within us as
individuals. We feel happy because we sense certain abstract 'happy' emotions first, then, we
recall images of, say, an enchanting scenery. In this website, I attempt to illustrate my
appreciation for the language of abstraction.
My paintings aim to express and communicate my thoughts and sentiments on the world around
and within us. I hope my artwork would provoke the viewers to consider and examine their own
thoughts and sentiments.
In general, I avoid the use of images which are recognisable in the "physical world". Such
images, say a chair, takes the viewer almost immediately to the end of the imagination pathway.
On the other hand, an allegory or an imaginary object charts the starting point of the viewer's
imagination journey.
My paintings are not intended to be solely decorative or pretty. If they possess these qualities, it
is merely a happenstance arising from built-in reflexes. I believe visual art should speak to issues
of humanity and human consciousness. Visual art should not simply be colour matches for sofas
and couches, in the same way that great literature is not just about light-weight romance.
1 Artist
For decades I worked in corporations while functioning as a "closet" artist/art student on my own
time. I am overjoyed to have become a full-time artist in recent years and be able to spend all my
available time painting.
For decades I worked in corporations while functioning as a "closet" artist/art student on my own
time. I am overjoyed to have become a full-time artist in recent years and be able to spend all my
available time painting.
2 Inspiration
I paint what my mind sees and senses, not what my eyes see. In my early years, I ardently
painted to jazz music. Today my paintings, as with instrumental music, do not reference any
specific time, place, subject or event. Rather, they contain mental images which, usually vague or
surreal, are aimed to evoke emotions and sensations. I strive to include tension and ambiguity in
my paintings, while leaving interpretation open-ended. The viewer is free to embrace the images,
and usurp them to create one's own stories and experiences. I believe that mental images appeal
to an intimate level of the subconscious and generate a direct and strong communication. It is my
wish that my paintings can emote, as music can.
I paint what my mind sees and senses, not what my eyes see. In my early years, I ardently
painted to jazz music. Today my paintings, as with instrumental music, do not reference any
specific time, place, subject or event. Rather, they contain mental images which, usually vague or
surreal, are aimed to evoke emotions and sensations. I strive to include tension and ambiguity in
my paintings, while leaving interpretation open-ended. The viewer is free to embrace the images,
and usurp them to create one's own stories and experiences. I believe that mental images appeal
to an intimate level of the subconscious and generate a direct and strong communication. It is my
wish that my paintings can emote, as music can.
3 Series
I am particularly passionate about two aspects of painting. First, I am very interested in the
manipulation of the field of depth. Since paintings are illusions of 3D subjects on a 2D-plane, i
think it is paramount that the painter manipulates the depth in a painting to create the desired
impact. Hence, while th Diffusion series often showcases images against infinite depth, the
Stratification and Similitude series are highly textural paintings whose "shallow" backgrounds
push the images out of the wall towards the viewer. Secondly, despite being an abstract painter, I
have a long-standing fascination for the emotional energy that the human figure can portray. I
seethe figure not as a physical "person", but as a purveyor of emotion. While not truly a figure
painter, I at times venture to incorporate the figure in modern abstract settings, the Existential
series, to express my sentiments on the spiritual, mental and environmental challenges which the
human spirit must confront in the world today.
I am particularly passionate about two aspects of painting. First, I am very interested in the
manipulation of the field of depth. Since paintings are illusions of 3D subjects on a 2D-plane, i
think it is paramount that the painter manipulates the depth in a painting to create the desired
impact. Hence, while th Diffusion series often showcases images against infinite depth, the
Stratification and Similitude series are highly textural paintings whose "shallow" backgrounds
push the images out of the wall towards the viewer. Secondly, despite being an abstract painter, I
have a long-standing fascination for the emotional energy that the human figure can portray. I
seethe figure not as a physical "person", but as a purveyor of emotion. While not truly a figure
painter, I at times venture to incorporate the figure in modern abstract settings, the Existential
series, to express my sentiments on the spiritual, mental and environmental challenges which the
human spirit must confront in the world today.