GEORGE TOWN: A gleaming new art gallery, inspired by the shape of the turtle, is the latest aesthetic touch to Penang island’s shoreline.
The RM100mil Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery along the Light Waterfront in Gelugor, will display over 300 original works from a rotating collection of over 1,000 pieces done by its founder Lin Xiang Xiong.
Lin, 80, said the gallery’s sweeping lines were inspired by the turtle, a symbol of harmony and longevity in Chinese culture.
“I chose Penang as the home of this gallery as a place where cultures meet and dreams could take root,” he said.
According to its website, Lin was born in Guangdong, China, in 1945. His works are rooted in South-East Asian culture, portraying the lives of local communities while engaging with themes such as poverty.
“His art has been exhibited globally, including at the National Art Museum of China and Unesco headquarters in Paris,” the website said.
At the entrance of the eight-storey Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery, sculptures of seven figures lifting a stone together symbolise unity, echoing Lin’s “Art for Peace” philosophy.
Its large windows frame the sea and the Penang Bridge.
A signature series titled The Vicissitudes of Life features 99 artworks, touching on themes such as war, pollution and poverty.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said at the launching ceremony yesterday that the gallery added depth to the island’s creative landscape.
“It is a manifestation of the Penang2030 aspiration that emphasises balanced human development, creativity-based economic progress and community wellbeing through knowledge and the arts,” he said.
The ceremony was attended by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, former chief ministers Lim Guan Eng and Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and other state leaders .
The gallery is scheduled to open by mid-December.
