What is a city without its art? Being an old cosmopolitan centre, Penang has its fair share of successful artists, and more. But, despite its strong pulse, the future of its art is never certain.
After four years in Penang, Pahang-born Liew Choong Ching decided to move back to Kuala Lumpur in August this year. The move coincided with his seventh solo exhibition.
At a time of economic turmoil, an impressive array of red dots denoting bookings of his works seems to validate his return to a marketplace where most of the big players are and where the real action is.
“I love Penang for the easy-going life and environment but KL is where it’s at, where there are much better opportunities,” says Liew, 35, who, however, has a solo date at Mutiara Art Gallery in Penang in September 2010.
Liew is a “catch” that Penang, dubbed the cradle of Malaysian art for having the most number of pioneer artists, cannot afford to lose if it is to have regeneration and retain some semblance of its prestige.
