我母亲的那些花儿 - Flower still life by my mother

Next year in 2023, my mother Kwang Ah Kui will be 90 years old. Since coming to Singapore from Kaiping, China at 12, mother devoted herself to caring for her parents-in-law, husband, seven children and grandchildren. All her life, mother busied herself with the needs of the big household and had only started to find time for herself to paint now.

Mother, who is illiterate, can only write the date referencing the calendar, and sign her signature using her thumb print. Mother was frugal and was only willing to use the leftover coloured pencils and drawing paper from her grandchildren, although she had all my fine art materials at her disposal.

Every time after completing an artwork, she always sat up like an eager school girl and asked:

"Ah-Da (my name in Chinese), what do you think of my drawing?"

Mother hoped that I would offer her some feedback.

My elder sister would affirm mother of a job well done, and then asked me to amend it for her. I reckoned if I had make corrections, it would not have been my mother’s original painting.

Smilingly, I would affirm my mother that if that was what she truly wanted to express, then it was already by itself perfect and complete.

Upon hearing this, mother’s wrinkled face would light up with a hint of pride and a deep sense of contentment.

Actually, I had never formally taught my mother how to draw. It was always through observing me that my mother learnt to make her own art.

She once told me: "Ah-Da, you know what, my mother-in-law never taught me how to make traditional pastries. I had just secretly watched her and learned it myself. "

My mother is a kind and simple woman who has no concept of money or fame. She only wanted to paint what she liked to paint. Hence in my heart, I feel my mother is a true artist.

This Mother's Day, I decided to curate an art exhibition for her on my website for more people to view and connect with my mother through her art.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all mothers a Happy Mother's Day.