Metamorphosis

I wrote in my sypnosis for Malay Mail Weekend Happenings; “Artist Renny Cheng debuts out of his signature figurative pieces and hits a raw nerve with his contemporary pieces with splashes of bold vibrant colour the creases and folds, peel back as he morphs out of the ordinary.”

Renny's has the cutest fringe in Penang. Us chickadees pale in comparison,  Doris Lim is distorted next to badass writer Ruzanna Muhammed, E&O gallery manager Wanida Razali and Hin Bus Depot curator Gabija Grusaite.

His metamorphosis is deviation and rightly so. This is not for the collector who says, “Hmmm…. Abstract art, either you loathe it or love it. I’m neither.” Says my friend CTW, “I go for impressionist art.” CTW’s was the first to comment on my FB post!

Of course, lots of arty folks heading over from the Ernest Zacharevic x E&O gallery next door. I just love the traffic from one gallery to another!


And rightly so, lots of colours and scenery, I get where you’re coming from CTW. But I like to go where I look at art from several angles, different perspective and believe you, me; I even rotate the pieces in my mind. It speaks to me. Or none at all.

Do I ask Renny outright what he’s trying to do here?

Or do I skulk around eavesdropping to get an inkling?

I just tip back and soak in the atmosphere. And get the giggle bugs with Badass writer Rusana Muhammed.  We writers do that very well.

Lame jokes on a sugar rush. Renny fed us coca cola in lieu of beer.

I’m thinking 16 teaspoons in a can. Rusana and I ingested 8 teaspoons of sugar each. We’re on a roll.













The pieces are stark.

Arresting.

I like the yellow. It’s called Subconscious Mind.

And I also like the red.  What does that mean?

Black Hole?

 

There’s a black and a white and a blue and green even.

Do these colour united? Divide?

What dominance has one colour over another? Presumably none.

I get it. The black hole and the egg, well, the empty eggshell next to it.

I get spooked easily.

I look at the floor, the sugar kicked in.

Renny disappeared.

“I don’t know if this is a breakthrough or not, there still a lot of confusion here,” says Renny, he is disappearing within himself.

Or rather into the blue as they say...

Yogic Stephanie Ang who has perfected the head bobble with Sarojini who doesn't wobble at all.

“If we scratch the surface and break the skin, we all bleed red,” Stephanie says. My eyes widen. In this context, it was a resounding “YES”.

Hin Bus Depot curator Gabija Grusaite is way too cool. She arrives on a red bicycle and we just had to take a picture of this modern day Cinderella! 

Sarojini is simply besotted.

Doris Lim is a popular freelance writer who blogs as Little Fish on travel and food stories here. Be sure to check out her other inspiring stories and follow her Instagram @SmartDoryID & Facebook to check out more places to eat delicious street foods or dine in the best restaurants!