The Places You Will Go

Malaysian Art, for Children

By DAPHNE LEE

From Tots to Teens, The Star, 10th July, 2011

ONE rarely meets a child who doesn’t like to draw. And one rarely meets a child who doesn’t draw spontaneously and effortlessly. Show me a child who fusses with perspective, setting and composition, and I’ll show you a child who’s very likely attending art class. At very least, I hope it’s not the sort of class where the teacher says the sky and sea must be coloured nothing but blue, and the trees and grass are always a non-negotiable green.

Are we all artists until we’re taught that we’re not? Do we need to be told what is good art? Is there such a thing as bad taste? Isn’t it just about personal taste? These are questions I’m constantly asking myself in relation to art and the arts.

Picture This

By DAPHNE LEE

From StarMag

PICTURE book art. What in the world is that? The answer may vary according to your personal definition of “art”, but very basically, it refers to the visual content of a picture book.

 Picture books are of course mostly read to and by children, and, while the serious (and, some would say, misled and uninformed) artist (and writer) might find it laughable to think of children’s books in the context of “art”, the skill, originality and creative talent reflected in the best of these books have long been acknowledged and rewarded by some of the most prestigious book awards in the world.