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Who else would be able to fill the void left by this versatile individual? You (and I) are likely to struggle to find the right words to describe his art pieces. Vong Nyam Chee’s legacy will live on roughly three years after his passing; in mid-2018, there was a tribute exhibition to commemorate his contributions. Held at the National Visual Arts Gallery/Balai Seni Negara, there were 50 pieces of his artworks on display, including his comic sketches, sculptures and carvings.

Vong is one of the rare few bright minds, whose artworks are thought-provoking and yet have that quality of standing the test of time. You can take a look at some of his works on his online platform/site.

As a student who ended up doing communication arts at a university in the US, Vong’s persistence in the kind of art that he was enthusiastic about led him to meet the only available tutor of Greek ancestry, whom I trust had influenced his works.

Vong began painting as a hobby, and even managed to sell some unintentionally while he was a student in the US, as one of his daughters revealed.

Upon his return to Malaysia, one of his positions was as a visualiser in a food and beverage company, not wanting to put his talent to waste.

Later, he went into sculpting, focusing mainly on the female human body flow, as per interview with one of his daughters. The female has several sides and intensities that could be explored from the perspective of a male, as written on his platform. I mean, how not to be in awe of his sculptures when they are evergreen in nature, although of course, according to my interpretation, he would like his works to be detached from any meaning, although he admitted that “there are different angles and dynamics to my works.”

He began by experimenting with different mediums, including acrylic, watercolour and clay.  However, nothing was able to give him the desired effect… until he found wood, which was acquired from a good friend, who owns a frame shop.

A decade ago, he started digitising his sculptures. He was working on them and had expected to bring to life his own version of digital sculptures.

From what I learnt from one of his daughters, he was a fast learner in using digital media and social media, so he required minimal help from his young ones. He was able to gather more resources and promote his artworks in a more efficient and cost-effective way.

On how his artworks have had an impact on his daughter’s outlook in life, she said: “It’s not easy to peruse what you want in life but if you are genuinely interested in your chosen path, as long as you strive for it, nothing is impossible.”