Way OnNet 30th Anniversary [Event Highlights on 8thJun2014]

Congratulatory Message for Way OnNet 30th Anniversary

Balance 阴阳风尚

(92cm X 92cm)

This painting is under Yin & Yang category. My paintings in Beijing exhibition are mainly categorized under 5 main categories.

If below painting has hypnotic effect on you J, please share your comments in https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tan-Khoon-Yong/

If you are still “sober”, please enjoy the painting, poem and writeup below and stay tuned for the next painting sharing.

阴中有阳为涵养

阳中有阴为舍得

阳中有阳为刚正

阴中有阴为含蓄

 

军荣语：阴中有阳，阳中有阴，阴阳调和，滋生万物。由黑暗去看光明，让人学会珍惜；由光明去了解黑暗，让人学会警惕。互换角度，有助于了解不同感受。

 

小评：画作呈现出屋内的阴和屋外的阳，让我们感觉到阴阳的存在和互动，简洁直接地勾勒出阴阳对立在心中的感觉。

 

Artist’s Commentary: Yin exists within Yang and vice versa. The interaction of Yin and Yang underlies the creation of all matters. Upon experiencing darkness, one shall learn to treasure the light. On the other hand, one shall learn how to be alert when trying to understand darkness from the light. Changing your perspectives shall bring different experiences and understanding.     

Additional Note(s): This artwork portrays darkness within the structure and light from beyond, allowing the audience to feel the presence of Yin and Yang, which are complementary opposites.

Singapore 新加坡•玄

(77cmx77cm)

My first solo art exhibition in Beijing is nearing, to be exact 29 Mar 2014 (Saturday). There are plenty of works getting now. We are currently busy with marketing activities and preparation for this exhibition. One noteworthy task is doing a “coffee table book” for this exhibition. All the paintings exhibited in Beijing will be featured in this book. One can enjoy my paintings with a nice cuppa … and that is life (in Singapore maybe)!

No prize for guessing below painting right …   J This painting comes in a series of 4 (titled Mysticism). I am sharing Singapore in this blog. Hope you like it.

多少只眼睛        窥探多少次的变化
如鱼涌来的感动         随红潮来去
只剩下
蓝色的深思
灰色的漫长
金色的梦幻

 

军荣语：新加坡是个移民岛国，每个时代都吸引不同背景的移民到来。虽然移民的贡献功不可没，但同时也衍生了不少问题与负担。或许，这就是岛国的宿命。

小评：画作中，蓝色的海洋激荡起一波波的红潮，通往黄金道路。在那条黄金道路的尽头，五光十色，是荣耀，抑或是惆怅？引人深思。

Artist’s Commentary: Singapore is an island nation that has always been intertwined with migration. Each generation attracts migrants of different backgrounds. Although their contributions are undeniable, problems and burdens were also imposed upon the nation. 

Additional Note(s): The colour blue in the artwork reflects the sea that stirs up waves of red tide, drawing near a path paved with gold. With the brilliant colours spattered at the end of the golden path, the artist questions underlying influences of this unique island nation.

Inception 初开

(77cm X 77cm)

Let’s get back to our BEGINNING – our start to life and creation/heaven and earth/black and white. It’s good to ponder for a while …. Do share your thoughts and comments in my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tan-Khoon-Yong/

 

混沌初开     天地分离

开创美好新天地

万物生长     生生不息

运转在大自然之间

生       是希望的开始

死       是希望的终结

 

军荣语：想像空间无限大，冥想天地界需要有深厚的功力。阴阳相对时，产生互相吸引、排斥的力量，玄之又玄。

 

小评：画作以简洁流畅的水墨泼法，运用黑、白、黄三种和谐的色彩，勾画出天地分离时的玄妙意境，冲击想象空间，让你坐拥寰宇、享受无限。

 

Artist’s Commentary: There is no limit to the imagination. Through meditation, one can acquire extended thoughts and transcend boundaries. Such form of deep contemplation accompanies the mutually opposing and attracting forces that denote the mystifying Yin & Yang.  

 

Additional Note(s): Applying effective ink splatter technique, the artist uses three natural colours – black, white and yellow, to depict a surreal scenario whereby Heaven and Earth lies separated. Aimed to stimulate one’s imagination and creativity, this magnificent artwork shall draw you into an unconstraint state and allow you to transcend boundaries.

Plum Blossoms in Transition梅花渡江

(92cm X 92cm) 
I will be sharing my paintings in this blog. Please stay tuned for more. I welcome all your comments and you can share them in https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tan-Khoon-Yong/
      

江在自由流
梅在自在舞
相遇本无心
离别何可惜
无念无心挂
却把影像留
有心有意牵
似如江水流

Artist’s Commentary: Be it the changing seasons or shifting emotions, there shall be a transition where one experiences the agony of waiting. This period, although excruciating, presents the best opportunity for one to learn and grow.

The plum blossoms flourish between Winter and Spring, representing a transition period. In the painting, a branch of flowering plum blossoms sits quietly and radiates strength through its vibrant colours. 

Additional Note(s): The shades of orange reflect different times and unique occurrences. The blue segment represents a sense of yearning while one waits during the transition period. This painting can be appreciated from different angles, providing different perspectives and insights. 

I-Ching with Arts

In all my artistic expressions, there are elements of Feng Shui. Some can be easily perceived and some can be rather subtle. Hence we decided to name this exhibition “I-CHING WITH ARTS”. I-CHING being the main foundation for Feng Shui and ARTS being art.

Paintings and ornamental designs are further sub-classified into Taiji, Yin-Yang, Five Elements, Flying Stars and I-Ching. This will facilitate the flow of the exhibition. For Feng Shui believers, the sub-classification can help to reinforce the meaning behind the paintings. For non-Feng Shui believers, the sub-classification can be simply treated as sub-categories/sub-groups to guide them through.

Here’s one of my paintings and some explanatory notes.

The divination conducted for the Year of the Horse revealed the Gen hexagram, which is also known as the Mountain hexagram. Represented by double stacks of mountain, this year calls for a sense of calmness. Viewing the mountains from different angles denotes different perspectives and outcomes. The key to overcoming obstacles is to maintain a happy outlook. In 2014, the market situation remains unstable with fluctuations, as well as natural and human disasters. The hot climate will also give way easily to quick temper. One is advised to keep calm and tread cautiously. Doing so shall ensure a year of good progress. 

Using art as a medium to make forecast is uncommon. In this artwork, the colour blue symbolises the clouds while the black represents the mountains. The mountains, presented one above another, resemble the double stacking mountains in the Gen hexagram. In addition to using the drumming technique to spray black and blue paint to the side, the artist also adopted the Taiji “flick” technique to expel the white, re-enacting a different environment that portrays new hope and joy.

For those who are interested in my paintings or the exhibition, please contact Way OnNet Group for more details. For everyone else, please stay tuned for further updates and sharing. Thank you!

My First Solo Art Exhibition

Since young, I have been fascinated by art expressions and my passion for art grew through the years. I started collecting art pieces and visit several famous museums and galleries around the world. Besides appreciating art, I also like to express my thoughts through art like poems and paintings. To date, I had published two books that comprise my poetry collections.

Painting passion started to grow tremendously in this new decade. The energy derived from the vibrant colours keeps me going for more. “A picture paints a thousand words”. I totally agree with this saying. First, it is a white spotless canvas. Then it gets transformed into an expressional picture that can tell stories, reaching out to people of all ages and languages.

Few months ago, I received an invitation from Parkview Group to hold a painting exhibition at the prestigious Parkview Green Art 798 in Beijing, China. I happily accepted the invitation and painted more for this event.

My first solo art exhibition will be held at Parkview Green Art 798 in Beijing, China from 29 Mar 2014 (Saturday) to 13 Apr 2014 (Sunday). This exhibition will showcase my artistic expressions, mainly in the form of paintings and some ornamental designs.

Coming up, I shall share more details about my first solo painting exhibition!

DUO Residences—Double the Harmonious Beauty

I felt very honoured to be invited as a feng shui consultant for DUO Residences, a S$ 3 billion mixed development in the Bugis precinct that combines prime residences, Grade A offices, a five-star hotel and 80,000 square feet of retail spaces.

 

 

 

This was no ordinary challenge as DUO is situated in between a rock and a hard place—Parkview Square and the Gateway respectively. These two local properties are well-known more for their feng shui ramifications than their aesthetic appeal. The average person’s understanding of feng shui is that buildings should be constructed in a harmonious way, and that sharp edges directed at your property are heavily frowned upon. How then can I work with DUO’s developer, M+S Pte Ltd (the joint venture company formed by Temasek Holdings and Khazanah Nasional) and the world-renowned architect, Bruno Ole Schereen, on constructing harmony in spite of the gigantic Parkview Square restricting qi flow, and the two massive, sharp edges in the East and West wings of the Gateway? Once we overcome these, we can truly maximise DUO’s prime location and connectivity.
 

 
DUO Residences

Image© Buro Ole Scheeren

 

Before going into the details, I must first say that I’m very impressed and satisfied with Ole Schereen’s interpretation of the task—he designed two stunning beauties which go beyond being merely iconic embellishments of Singapore’s skyline, more importantly, their circular open spaces create harmony, bringing balance to the Ophir-Rochor area and peace to the people living and working there.

 

When faced with two imposing structures, many may think of creating something that is even more striking, to overpower the existing Gateway and Parkview Square. But that is really not how feng shui should be practiced. Harmony is the key to peace and a sinuous energy flow. So what we need to do is overcome the immense pressure and excessive qi tunnelled by Gateway’s two sharp edges. We want to rechannel this qi, but yet retain some of the qi to be circulated through the development.

 

qi flows

Image© Buro Ole Scheeren

 

It’s great that Schereen focused on creating spaces instead of creating masses. His touch of genius was creating circular open spaces that give the entire development the ability to “breathe”. On its own, qi cannot be seen as good or bad, it is the balance and organization of qi that is important. Too much qi makes occupants nervous and stressful, but a lack of it would make the entire development feel listless.

 

circular open spaces

Image© Buro Ole Scheeren

 

Breaking free of the rock and the hard place through the concept of harmony and balance is like two people practicing tai ji. The overarching idea is to create and maintain a balance, by connecting the minds and bodies of these two individuals. The same goes for buildings, reduce the imposing feel if it’s overpowering, and add some commanding presence if it is lacking in the area. Schereen agrees, though he feels that the construction is more akin to two people dancing. He says Singapore is increasingly dominated by isolated concrete towers, leaving us more socially excluded than connected, an irony given that Singapore is ranked as one of Asia’s most livable cities! Whether it’s practicing tai ji or dancing, the idea is to move in sync and in harmony.

 

tai ji - the concept of harmony and balance

Image© Buro Ole Scheeren

 

That DUO can break free and emerge from in between the rock and the hard place signifies much more. Part of a land parcel exchange agreement signed in 2010 between Prime Minister Lee of Singapore and Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia, DUO was quickly alluded to as the exemplar for future collaborations between the two countries. This joint venture is symbolic of how both countries can work together for the benefit of future generations, thawing the frosty relationship over the last five decades. Besides DUO, Marina One and other projects in Iskandar (Malaysia) will likely bring the two countries ever closer. We can do our part to boost this process by consciously creating harmony and balance in these developments!

 

[2012 Water Dragon Year] 7th Solar Month Forecast

Feng Shui of New Zealand

Previously known as Niu Xi Lan (纽西兰), New Zealand is now known as Xin Xi Lan (新西兰) to the Chinese. Nonetheless, this linguistic change in the Chinese name for the country does not change the fact that New Zealand remains a new terrain amidst the sea.

In the studies of geology, the landscape of New Zealand was formed and shaped millions of years ago by the continuous interplay of the universal geological processes of earth movements, erosion, sedimentation, metamorphism, and igneous activity. Such a geological characteristic is similar to that of China and Japan except for the fact that the former faces Southeast while the latter faces Northeast.

With regards to topography, Japan resides in the North and resembles the shape of the Big Dipper while New Zealand, residing in the South, resembles that of the South Dipper. The land of the Big Dipper tends to be more active and favours innovation while the land of the South Dipper moves at a slower pace and favours an idyllic lifestyle. Both lands can be categorised under the Double Dragon Pulse formation. Such landforms are created as a result of earthquakes and usually comprise of more mountains and fewer plains.

In the aspect of ethnicity, the majority of Japan’s population originates from interracial marriages between the local Japanese and poor immigrants from China. For New Zealand, most of her population derives from miscegenation between the British and the Maori. Such unions allow these two nations to develop their distinctive culture through a unique blend of history, cultures as well as education from their forefathers. This brings forth a culture evolution that has become an intrinsic characteristic of many well-developed countries.

It is without doubt that a thin line exists between prosperity and adversity, even when one is living in paradise. People who live in Japan and New Zealand understand that one cannot take things for granted. Thus, they maintain a vigilant attitude despite a leisurely lifestyle.
I recall a Chinese saying that denotes ‘different countries breed different cultures’, yet there are great similarities between the population of these two countries that are located miles apart. Perhaps this is due to the similarities that both countries have in terms of feng shui and the environment.

On the various occasions that I have visited Japan, I fully enjoyed their food, culture and the country’s respect for nature. In comparison, my first trip to New Zealand gave me a wonderful experience of beautiful scenery and fresh food produce although I do not have much impression of their culture.

The Japanese believe in Buddhism while the New Zealanders believe in Christianity. Nevertheless, Japan and New Zealand are two destinations that are greatly favoured by the Taoists for their prosperous land and great nature. As a Taoist, I am drawn to these two destinations at first sight.

Nonetheless, the erratic climate of these two destinations poses a great challenge. It is most unusual to experience four seasons in a day but this is common for Japan and New Zealand as one is located near the North Pole while the other is located near the South Pole. On the other hand, such erratic climate can help one to forge a good physique and many people who live in these two places enjoy longevity. It goes to show that these are ideal destinations for retirement.

In the luck aspect, the current luck cycle is unfavourable for Japan but is extremely favourable for New Zealand, which has great potential for investments. Investment trends have not infiltrated New Zealand and development for various industries has slowed. In addition, exchange rate for the New Zealand Dollar is 20%-30% lower than that Australia Dollar. Therefore, many Australians are dabbling into property investment in New Zealand. As such, New Zealand has the potential to excel with regards to long-term investments.

In the analysis of feng shui, it is ideal to make long-term investments in the Southeast. However, the luck cycle within year 2012 to 2013 denotes natural calamities for both New Zealand and Australia.

Thus, I hope that New Zealand can avert disasters and that all matters will run smoothly after her change of Chinese name.

Land of Idyllic Beauty

The "land of idyllic beauty" is a perfect phrase to describe the life in New Zealand. The journey between Christchurch and Queenstown takes approximately 500 kilometers, and there are several vineyards along the way. The area is surrounded by many trees, a large number of well-developed parks and exquisite residential gardens.

Our destination, Queenstown, has an estimated resident population of 20,000. The beauty of this landscape draws thousands of visitors each day, with over one hundred thousand visitors during summer and winter months. This makes it one of New Zealand’s most visited tourist spots and a well-developed town.

The most well known place in Queenstown is Lake Wakatipu. Renowned for its scenic beauty, Lake Wakatipu is being surrounded by mountains, and is a popular venue for adventure tourism. In recent years, Lake Wakatipu’s hotels have become a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. Among them, there are some hotels owned by Singaporeans. It is a pity that I could not share with you how gorgeous the scenery is, because no camera can capture it fully. However, the purpose of this trip is not for sightseeing. I was there to provide some feng shui advice to my friend who invested in a resort home by the lakes. Such a resort house with lake view in New Zealand only costs two to three million Singapore dollars, while the same house in Singapore will cost ten to twenty million Singapore dollars.

At Queenstown, we took a scenic flight onboard an 8-seater aircraft to enjoy a scenic view of the lake. As we circled and hovered above the glaciers, overlooking the lake beneath, we noticed the magnificent blue sky and beautiful clear water.

The mountains resemble conical formations and are most likely sculpted by the heavy snow and strong wind throughout the years. In the aspect of feng shui studies, it is not a favourable landform because of the steep peaks and flat mountain plains. Previously, I saw such a landform in China’s Changbai Mountain. The only difference lies in the absence of a crater lake due to the year-round presence of strong winds.

After a 45 minutes’ flight, we reached Milford Sound, a fjord in the southwest of New Zealand’s south island. After cruising along the fjord for over an hour, we came across magnificent scenery of the Danxia landform. The Danxia landform is usually spotted only at inland China region. Nonetheless, the unusual appearance of the Danxia landform at this adjoining lake and river is indeed magnificent!

Occasionally, tourists can admire dolphins, sea lions and the play of the wind with the numerous waterfalls. The falls never reach the bottom of Milford Sound, drifting away in the wind.

It says on the advertisement that this is a place that you cannot afford to miss! Will you visit this place again?

I would like to! This is an enjoyable destination whereby one can linger on without any thoughts and learning, and it is definitely a destination worth visiting again! Nevertheless, I will leave it to fate to decide if I will be back again!