The “Chia Koon Talk” series is the first of a 10-year video-essay project tentatively titled M.A.W (Malaysian Artist at Work).

In this series, Ong Chia Koon, a contemporary Chinese Malaysian Calligrapher, talk about the basic elements of Chinese calligraphy and his own work. There are a total of 4 short videos that are made and shared on YouTube.  

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Chia Koon occupies an curious place in the Malaysian art scene. To the Chinese Calligraphy circle, his work is seen as art, not calligraphy. To the contemporary art scene, his work is considered a traditional craft from China and not contemporary Malaysian art. It is within this double bind that Chia Koon's practice question notions of what is contemporary, what is art and perhaps more importantly, what is Malaysian.

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