Of Leng Kar Chang – the Founder of SKA pr · Of Leng K. Chang- The Founder of SKA After having...

1
2645 NORTH BERKELEY LAKE ROAD, SUITE F142, DULUTH GA 30096 CONTACT: 404.510.9389 EMAIL: [email protected] Of Leng K. Chang- The Founder of SKA After having been in Atlanta, Georgia for years as the founder of an art academy, Ms Leng Kar Chang recently paid a visit to her hometown – Sabah, Malaysia. On the 22 nd of June, she also took part in a cultural event, which was hosted by the Sabah government and the Buddhist organization in the state. This event involved a wide range of activities, including classical and traditional Chinese music, choral singing, poetry recital, books, flower arranging, the art of drinking tea and many more. Due to its unique and artistic nature, the event also attracted lots of Buddhism followers, who are also involved in one or more aspects of art. Many of the participants also come from abroad, lending diversity and multiple perspectives to the event. During the event, Ms Leng Kar Chang did a public performance of live painting, in which she completed an abstract piece of Buddha within 15 minutes, earning applause and awe from the audience. Religion, like art, means different things to different people, and they are both open to interpretation. Hence, the improvisational nature of live painting meant that Ms Leng Kar Chang drew her inspiration from the people and environment around her to complete her artwork, thus making the piece more personalized and meaningful. When she was young, Ms Chang moved to Sabah with her family and started her pursuit of art there. She completed her secondary education in a high school in Kota Kinabalu, and continued to study interior design in the Sabah Institute of Art and Malaysia Institute of Art. After she graduated, she started her career as an interior designer in the Innervision Design Consultant Company. In the subsequent years, she progressed to work at Winsonart Designs and Contracts, a Singaporean company, to further explore the multifaceted nature of art through other perspectives. To further advance in her pursuit of art, Ms Chang obtained a scholarship from the Savannah College of Art and Design to do her Masters in art. In the next fifteen years, Ms Chang successfully became a member of Ai Group Design, LLC, which is one of the ten biggest hotel design companies in the USA. Her artworks have since been displayed in various hotels and interior design magazines. Furthermore, Ms Chang has won a number of awards for her creativity and innovation in designing. In the spirit to spread her skills, knowledge and love of art to a wider audience, Ms Chang founded the Sabah Kinder Art (SKA) Academy of Art and Design in 2006. The academy went on to be the first art academy in the whole of the USA to be accredited by SACSI and attain the status of an art school which offers a supplemental art program in 2009. SKA is also a member of the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) and the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). Miss Leng Kar Chang felt honored to have the opportunity to be part of this event, to share her artistic knowledge in the very place she started her art education. To her, it is extremely meaningful to interact with the public and share what she has learnt throughout her years spent in foreign countries. She also hopes that the Sabah government will continue hosting such events to nurture and heighten the appreciation of culture and art in the society. She said: ‘When I founded Sabah Kinder Art in Atlanta, many Americans asked me things about the name Sabah. And I told them, “home is where the heart is, and heart is where the love is”, as my family is in Sabah and so are many of my memories. Therefore, the name of SKA is a tribute to my feelings towards my hometown.’ Photo taken by: Lo Wen Huu “Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the libera>on of the humanity inside yourself.” ― Daisaku Ikeda

Transcript of Of Leng Kar Chang – the Founder of SKA pr · Of Leng K. Chang- The Founder of SKA After having...

Page 1: Of Leng Kar Chang – the Founder of SKA pr · Of Leng K. Chang- The Founder of SKA After having been in Atlanta, Georgia for years as the founder of an art academy, Ms Leng Kar Chang

2645 NORTH BERKELEY LAKE ROAD, SUITE F142, DULUTH GA 30096 CONTACT: 404.510.9389 EMAIL: [email protected]

Of Leng K. Chang- The Founder of SKA

After having been in Atlanta, Georgia for years as the founder of an art academy, Ms Leng Kar Chang recently paid a visit to her hometown – Sabah, Malaysia. On the 22nd of June, she also took part in a cultural event, which was hosted by the Sabah government and the Buddhist organization in the state. This event involved a wide range of activities, including classical and traditional Chinese music, choral singing, poetry recital, books, flower arranging, the art of drinking tea and many more. Due to its unique and artistic nature, the event also attracted lots of Buddhism followers, who are also involved in one or more aspects of art. Many of the participants also come from abroad, lending diversity and multiple perspectives to the event.

During the event, Ms Leng Kar Chang did a public performance of live painting, in which she completed an abstract piece of Buddha within 15 minutes, earning applause and awe from the audience. Religion, like art, means different things to different people, and they are both open to interpretation. Hence, the improvisational nature of live painting meant that Ms Leng Kar Chang drew her inspiration from the people and environment around her to complete her artwork, thus making the piece more personalized and meaningful.

When she was young, Ms Chang moved to Sabah with her family and started her pursuit of art there. She completed her secondary education in a high school in Kota Kinabalu, and continued to study interior design in the Sabah Institute of Art and Malaysia Institute of Art. After she graduated, she started her career as an interior designer in the Innervision Design Consultant Company. In the subsequent years, she progressed to work at Winsonart Designs and Contracts, a Singaporean company, to further explore the multifaceted nature of art through other perspectives.

To further advance in her pursuit of art, Ms Chang obtained a scholarship from the Savannah College of Art and Design to do her Masters in art. In the next fifteen years, Ms Chang successfully became a member of Ai Group Design, LLC, which is one of the ten biggest hotel design companies in the USA. Her artworks have since been displayed in various hotels and interior design magazines. Furthermore, Ms Chang has won a number of awards for her creativity and innovation in designing.

In the spirit to spread her skills, knowledge and love of art to a wider audience, Ms Chang founded the Sabah Kinder Art (SKA) Academy of Art and Design in 2006. The academy went on to be the first art

academy in the whole of the USA to be accredited by SACSI and attain the status of an art school which offers a supplemental art program in 2009. SKA is also a member of the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) and the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA).

Miss Leng Kar Chang felt honored to have the opportunity to be part of this event, to share her artistic knowledge in the very place she started her art education. To her, it is extremely meaningful to interact with the public and share what she has learnt throughout her years spent in foreign countries. She also hopes that the Sabah government will continue hosting such events to nurture and heighten the appreciation of culture and art in the society. She said: ‘When I founded Sabah Kinder Art in Atlanta, many Americans asked me things about the name Sabah. And I told them, “home is where the heart is, and heart is where the love is”, as my family is in Sabah and so are many of my memories. Therefore, the name of SKA is a tribute to my feelings towards my hometown.’

Photo taken by: Lo Wen Huu

“Life  is  painful.  It  has  thorns,  like  the  stem  of  a  rose.  Culture  and  art  are  the  roses  that  bloom  on  the  stem.  The  flower  is  yourself,  your  humanity.  Art  is  the  libera>on  of  the  humanity  inside  yourself.”  

―  Daisaku  Ikeda