7/20/08

Viewing a cat

How would you view a cat? There are of course, cat lovers, and those who go all the way to help them, bringing injured cats to the vets, paying for their medical bills, feeding them, and finding ways to ensure their well-being. And these are the people who will do the same for other animals in similar plight, just that, the cats are the creatures that open their hearts to this path.


Then there are those who joke and laugh at these people and consider them trivial or overly-sympathetic to a non-issue (or pests) as remarked by Class 95 FM Morning Express Glenn Ong and the Flying Dutchman, that "stray cats should be sent to Peru to be eaten and stray cat feeders should be fined." Of course, they were only trying to get attention, to show how nonchalant they are, or to perpetuate their radio personalities. Whether they will eat the cats in Peru or not is another question. There are others who worry instead that their brand new cars would be scratched by the cats or that cats are filthy and will spread disease, etc. Then they are those who abuse the cats, torturing and killing them with imagination. Lastly, we have the "authorities", the AVA and the town councils who seem to be the slaves to people with lots to complain. The cats were culled during the SARS episode without contacting any animal groups, and they have traps for rent for anyone who wants to get rid of cats who might be scratching their brand new cars. (Cats don't really want to scratch metallic bodies. It's just not their thing or yours. Try scratching your car and see if you derive any kind of joy in it).


So how do you view a cat? Everybody looks out their own window. Everything external is everything internal. Everything has to be manifested as a thought first before it can become a speech, an action, or a feeling. If a certain thought is repeated and reinforced enough times, it becomes part of who you are. In short, the feelings and thoughts come automatically and "naturally" when a particular situation occurs - you are what you say, do or feel. For some, the egos are a too inflated, so it's easier to trivialize things. This makes them feel bigger and above all these "little" things. If for some reason, their ego or pride is taken away, they will struggle and this may be a good thing. For others, material things are more important than life. If you value your Mercedes Benz more than the lives of cats, it's equally true that you value material things more than your own life. If you lose your wealth, you will struggle terribly but you may learn more about life wahahaha! And for people who torture and kill cats, their lives are filled with fear (fear of life, of being a nobody, and have a very weak sense of self), and hence the irrepressible need to cover that fear with power, anger, hatred. If that fear is removed, then there will be nothing left to cover up.


Well, as for the cat lovers, there's nothing that we can take away from them. Their compassion and love are theirs to give away, and in that way, they receive much more. Sometimes, it seems easier to help cats or dogs as they are simple and pure, with no hidden agenda. If we can recognise that in them, then we have also recognised it in ourselves. People are always more complicated. Perhaps, when we have become strong enough, we can recognise this in other people and help them recognise it too. We are not that different.

At the end, we only receive what we give, good or bad.
In the act of interpreting the universe, we are creating the universe...

;)

7/7/08

A picture book - The Leaf Named Nip Who Flipped

I've just illustrated a picture book written by R Chandran (founder-director of ACT 3 THEATRICS), and published by Mariah Zainal of Marzarts Publishing. It's quite a little story and I guess one can read it on different levels haha. So here's a little snippet and my take on the story...
"A leaf's job is to cling on to a branch and make food for the plant, using sunlight, carbon dioxide and water," explained his friend. But Nip argued, "There must be more to being a leaf". And there begins the journey of a leaf as only a leaf knows how...

After a few pages... Nip gains enlightenment, a sudden insight into the way things work and an understanding of the most fundamental trick in life...
... the art and adventure of letting go!

"...There is joy, a winelike freedom
that dissolves the mind and restores
the spirit, and there is manly fortitude
like the king's, a reasonableness
that accepts the bewildered lostness.

But meditate now on steadfastness
and clarity, and let those be the wings
that lift and soar through the celestial spheres."

~Rumi


Haha, go get a copy and see how you would interpret the story...
Books are currently selling at BOOKABURRA at level 2 Forum Galleria & Wassini fashion at #01-73 Golden Landmark. Alternatively, email Mariah at marz_artiste@yahoo.com.sg


YEAH! Now for a glass of scotch whiskey
(Adults only)

Shots of the launch at the National Library
Annabelle Francis and Amy Cheng narrating the story...

for passion, story and art...

;)

6/18/08

Catmasutra: Painting for different emotions

A little excerpt from youth.sg about Catmasutra - The Enlightened Series...


Who would have known that a creature that meows and purrs can relate to many of our humanly sentiments and even provide calmness within that subconscious mayhem?

“Painting is the passage from the chaos of the emotions to the order of the possible,” so said French painter Balthus. I presume that Catmasutra: Enlightened series creator Paul Koh must have that renowned quote etched in his mind while colouring each canvas. Each painting sheltered in Artoholic Gallery relates to our emotions through the situation faced by a cat and brings us to find solitary, making each paint-daubed canvas appropriate for a different occasion...

Though the cat is plastered with repetitive facial expressions canvas after canvas, its surroundings also draw out the cat’s emotions (and at times, ours too).

After-lunch contentment

As outwardly portrayed by the ‘green grass’ background, this painting seems inspired by the Taoist concept of yin and yang (uniting two total opposites). The Perfect Harmony of the living cat and the dead fish also shows the humanly after-lunch contentment. The cat shows its pleasure on its facial expression and the silhouette of the bird on the ‘grass’ denotes the fantastic feeling most of us have after savouring a delicious meal.

Read the full article by Nisha at youth.sg



Haha... The fish bone is actually a "wish" bone for the cat and it symbolizes our dreams and aspirations. When what we do matches what we dream about, then we're that much closer to happiness, and hence that eyes-wide-shut and ear-to-ear grin;) As long as the fish bone remains within sight and in the heart (or the mouth), the cat is happy. It also means "abundance" in reference to the Chinese greeting "Nian Nian You Yu" (or abundance year after year). "Fish" and "abundance" are pronounced the same way"Yu", but written differently. Of course, here the cat is always well-fed ("soul food") since , as it must be, when we do the things we love...

;)

6/13/08

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

Know all things to be like this:
as a magician makes illusions
Of horses, oxen, carts and other things,

Nothing is as it appears.

~Buddha



See No Evil / Morning Cat
...
*You're an artist
who paints both with existence and non.
Shams could help you see who you are,
but remember, You are not your eyes.



Hear No Evil / Afternoon Cat
...
*The waterhole is deep. A thirsty man climbs

a walnut tree growing next to the pool
and drops walnuts one by one into

the beautiful place. He listens carefully
to the sound as they hit and watches

the bubbles. A more rational man gives advice.
"You'll regret doing this. You're so far

from the water that by the time you get down
to gather walnuts, the water will have

carried them away." He replies, "I'm not
here for the walnuts, I want the music

they make when they hit."


Speak No Evil / Evening Cat

...
*A night full of talking that hurts.
my worst held-back secrets: everything
has to do with loving and not loving.

This night will pass.
Then we have work to do.

~*Rumi


CATMASUTRA ~ The Enlightened Series
A solo exhibition by Paul Koh

ARTOHOLIC GALLERY
422 joo chiat road

Paintings will be displayed till 19 June 2008

Opening Hours:
monday-friday: 12pm - 7pm
saturday : 10am - 9pm
;)


These paintings were first inspired by my cat Halo, who when it's too bright, cover her eyes as if asking us to dim the light! Not sure if it's a natural phenomenon but my the other cat Angel has also recently started to do the same. Perhaps he has gotten used to sunglasses...


;)

6/2/08

Catmasutra - The enlightened Series

Here's a little video for my upcoming exhibition on Wednesday, so come on down and explore the mystical side of you in this quirky and 'deep' cat art exhibition. The song's a favorite of mine, "Lived in Bars" by Cat Power.


The rain is free
only in falling...
;)

The Map of Unchartered Occurrences

“We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn't have expected.” ~ Ben Okri


The Pilgrimage

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours... and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” ~ Bob Moawad


Kiss Pressed like a flower
"In mysterious ways the heart reveals itself to be like a flower that opens and closes. this is our nature. " ~Jack Kornfield


Just Sitting
“The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going.” ~ Epictetus


CATMASUTRA ~ The Enlightened Series
A solo exhibition by Paul Koh

Opening Reception & RSVP:
Wednesday, 4 June 7pm
tel: (65) 6348 7793

ARTOHOLIC GALLERY
422 joo chiat road

Paintings will be displayed till 19 June 2008

Opening Hours:
monday-friday: 12pm - 7pm
saturday : 10am - 9pm
;)