What’s your favourite time of day?
Early morning. I use this time to plan my day, it feels like everything is possible and it makes me want to paint.
What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?
There is no shortcut to success. Hard work is the only way to achieve anything meaningful. It means going through phases of doubt, but it is how you move forward as an artist. No pain, no gain.
When are you the most inspired?
Inspiration comes from working. I paint and draw everyday to keep the ideas flowing and I have found it is the most efficient way to be inspired. I also keep a notebook by my bed to write down ideas or to sketch during the night, but these ideas also need a lot of work.
What song can you listen to on repeat?
I love music, I find it powerful because it is so emotional. I listen to Hokkien folk songs and Chinese pop songs from the 70s and 80s. The emotion they convey moves me deeply, and as an artist, I can only hope that my art will move people in the same way.
What makes you smile the most?
Spending time with my family. Sharing a simple meal with my wife, my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and enjoying the time spent together is my greatest joy, even though it can get loud sometimes!
What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
I live a very simple life. My art and my family are the most important things to me. I don’t drink or smoke, my life is not mysterious, it is very low-profile.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?
I have been drawing and painting every day for 90 years. Even when I was a school principal, when I was travelling, when I had obligations, I always made time for art. I have painted over 10,000 paintings in my life.
What’s your favourite piece of advice?
“Be a good man”. To be a good person is what I have aspired to all my life, and I am convinced it is necessary to be a good artist. It has kept me focused, humble and reminded me remain hardworking. Striving to be better always, in art and in life, and to take care of my family and loved ones.
How do you start your day?
I wake up before dawn, at 5 or 6, I drink water and head directly to my studio, to paint, to write or to find inspiration. Everybody is asleep, the house is silent and the whole world seems still. It is a special time of the day to focus and gather my ideas.
What did you want to do with your life when you were a child?
Painting was always my passion. I remember being in school and watching my teacher paint and write calligraphy to learn from him. As he realised I was interested in art, he told me that drawing every day was the only way to get better, and I still do it to this day, 90 years later!
What has been the most memorable part of the last century for you?
The moment that will always stay with me is the first painting I sold. Feeling like my passion and all my hard work were resonating with others was a feeling beyond compare, but also a humbling experience, reminding me to keep working and getting better.