|
“This is a portrait of my parents and me!” - Tan
|
|
|
Tan Junting, a fourth year Finance student who has been oil painting for just two years, displayed her oil paintings as a solo exhibition in the Exhibition Hall of UIC on 7-12 May. The exhibition was named, Tan: Telling Stories.
"I focus on something I am indeed fond of," Tan said. It usually takes her hours or weeks in her spare time to complete the painting process.
|
Honesty is one theme of her works. She is inspired by her friends’ or strangers' experiences because of their plain honesty. For instance, the couple and the drum-playing boy portrayed in the figure paintings are based on real people.
 |
|
 |
| Tan's works |
She uses metaphorical imagery in her paintings to represent certain human characteristics, this can been seen in, among other things, flowers, dogs and cats.
|
She said that it was hard for her to select one favourite work because she liked all of her creations.
"I present people’s stories in the form of painting." Unlike those who find painting cathartic, Tan is a calm and quiet painter, and likes to make her works carry tales in an artistic way.
Through her paintings, Tan hoped to perform the role of a storyteller. "If I meet a right person who is able to know the stories within my depictions, I will sell him the very paintings," she said delightedly.
"I was charged for the initial painting lesson I attended, but later I was told I could learn for free from the second lesson on, because my teacher told me ‘I have taught you little’. I was encouraged to feel free to draw and consult when confused about how to express my thoughts," she said.
|
|
|
The portrait of Dr. Anthony Tsui, Acting Associate Dean of DBM, depicted by Tan
|
Holding this personal exhibition before graduation was one of her dreams. The preparation took her a whole semester, during when, unsurprisingly, she encountered a multitude of difficulties. Thanks to the increasing support from her teachers and other kind people, she managed to carry out the exhibition.
More than once she has openly stated, “I enjoy the sensation when I am painting in the light-hearted state.”
Reporter/Photographer: Karen Xiao Wei
Editor: Deen He
(from MPRO, with special thanks to the ELC)
