Ah Chong — The master relief sculptor

A RELIEF sculpture mural of nine dragons that adorn the low wall of the Tua Pek Kong Temple is one of the most eye-catching sights at Main Bazaar Sarawak’s oldest street in the centre of Kuching.

Relief sculpture is a technique where carved or modelled figures project form a two-dimensional, flat background, remaining attached to it rather than being freestanding.

When it was first completed in 1983, many presumed that it was the work of a master from China – only to be surprised when local newspapers revealed that it was the work of the then 18-year-old self-taught artist and sculptor who moved to Kuching from his hometown Limbang in 1981 at the age of 16.

Before relocating to the state capital, Kong Ping Meng, who is better known as by his nickname ‘Ah Chong’, was a child prodigy who had built a reputation as a much sought-after artist and sculptor of Chinese gods, deities and mythical figures for Chinese temples in his hometown.

However, as a young unknown artist in Kuching, he found work hard to come by until his big breakthrough when he was commissioned by the Kuching Hokkien Association to do the relief sculpture of nine dragons round the wall of the temple.

That contract was a result of Ah Chong’s own initiative.

While visiting the temple one day, he was inspired by a vision of nine dragons adorning the circular wall of the temple.

“I was sitting at the back of the temple one day when I envisioned dragons adorning the bare wall.

“I drew the dragons and proposed to the temple committee to make a relief sculpture of them on the wall.”

His idea was accepted, and he landed his first major work in Kuching.

The rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

That work impressed all those who saw it, and contracts soon followed.

Since then, he had not had any break in his work as Chinese associations and individuals throughout Sarawak sought his expertise to decorate temples with his relief sculpture.

He was even contracted to restore the relief sculpture of the frieze of the Astana, the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak in Kuching.

In a recent interview at the Seng Hong Kong Temple, at Petanak Road in Kuching where he is currently commissioned to do a relief sculpture mural of the Chinese mythical war and civil council of deities on the temple’s front walls, he said he was intrigued by paintings and statues of celestial figures in Chinese temples at a very young age.

“When I was very young, I was interested in statues in Chinese temples and paintings on their walls when I followed my parents to pray there.”

Such was Ah Chong’s obsession that by the age of six, he was already making clay figurines of gods and deities he saw in paintings in temples.

“I come from a poor family and when I asked my mother to buy toys of Chinese mythical figures, she refused.

“So, I decided to make my own and draw these figures.

“I was also inspired by Chinese folklore comic books of mythical heroes and would spend hours reading stories about them.”

During his primary school days, his drawings and statues impressed his teachers and even caught the attention of the elders.

He was often tasked with drawing patterns on lanterns and banners for festive processions for small monetary rewards, which he used to buy materials for his paintings and sculptures.

Over the years, his work at temples in Kuching had caught the attention of some visitors from China and Taiwan, who were so impressed by his work that they invited him to give talks on the art of relief sculpture to artists in their cities.

Despite all the accolades received, Ah Chong did not rest on his laurels as he sought to enhance his knowledge and expertise by visiting temples in China, Thailand and Taiwan to seek advice from masters there.

“Relief sculpture is painstaking and tedious as first you have to draw figures and scenery on the wall before pasting the mortar on the outlines of the drawings.

“Then you have to wait a few days for the mortar to dry before painting it.”

Now, as he nears 60, Chong does not envisage retiring soon as he hopes to continue for a few more years and impart his skills to the younger generation.

“Young people are not keen on learning this form of art and making a living with it.

“I am willing to take in apprentices to take over from me when I retire, but so far, no one has taken up the offer.”

However, his mission could be achieved outside Sarawak as he has been invited by temple officials in China to impart his skills to young artists there.

Ah Chong is keen on the idea, but would only go after he retired.

“I plan to go to China to take up their offers after I stop taking up new contracts when I finish my present work,” he said.