Finishing touches: Kau working on a painting at his home in Gelang Patah. He is one of the few painters left in Johor specialising in Buddhist and Taoist deities and figures. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: From painting seafood on advertisement boards to depicting deities and religious figures, a 53-year-old craftsman insists on painting every piece by hand to preserve the art form.
Kau Tek Hoo, a self-taught painter specialising in Buddhist and Taoist deities and figures for temples, Chinese opera shows and funerals, said he dropped out of school at age 15 to work at an advertising company as he was not interested in studying.
Back then, he was tasked with painting fish, prawns and other seafood dishes on advertisement boards. That was when he developed a deeper interest in painting.
