Taking pride in the authenticity of his work, sculptor Kong Ping Ming carves his steps in many temples throughout Sarawak. With over 40 years of experience under his belt and a focus on bringing forward the Chinese traditions and culture, Kong aims to preserve this old art for future generations.
A passion for preserving Chinese culture
When Kong Ping Ming sculpts, he maintains a steady composure and breathes in a calm and relaxed manner.
He said that whenever he became tense, his hands would tremble, which would then make the finer details among the intricacies to go out of shape.
To keep his mind at ease, he relies on the sounds of the surroundings to concentrate.
Kong, who has been sculpting for over 40 years, said the challenges are endless.
“Everything about sculpting is difficult. But I do it anyway because to me, the preservation and conservation of our Chinese culture is essential.”
He believes that preserving the nearly forgotten ancient Chinese art is vital for the future generation.
Beyond sculpting for temples and ancient buildings, the passionate sculptor thinks that by conserving the skills of creating this art, ancient Chinese history can be brought forward into the future.
“When our Chinese ancestors first arrived here, they brought with them their culture from China and assimilated it. However, a lot has happened since they arrived. Many aspects of our culture’s identity that our ancestors had carried with them had been destroyed by the war.
“Those traditions and heritage are like assets that we inherit from our ancestors. I feel that unless we preserve and protect them, they will be gone. Who else would do that if not us Chinese?” he said.
Ancient art
The 57-year-old, who was born and raised in Limbang, has always been passionate about art.
With a strong interest in Chinese cultural art in temples, Kong left his hometown at the age of 17 to pursue his dream of becoming a sculpture artist focusing on Chinese identity.
Having honed his skills and talents in sculpting and carving, his artwork usually involves wood carving, porcelain carving, stone carving, landscape design, and the construction of new temples.
His relentless pursuit led him to study not only how to carve and paint various ancient Chinese characters and deities, but also the art of feng shui.
These attributions developed through observing others, especially sculptors from China and Thailand, as well as years of experience in the field.
When he is not scaling ladders to carve on walls, Kong will be maintaining the old sculptures and antiques. He does this to keep the figures looking like the original.
As he discovers purpose in his work, he says that although he works among the sacred, there is no taboo involved in his job.
“When I am on site, the only thing I do is work sincerely. When you do not have a genuine interest, whatever you do has no purpose. I believe that this is one of our Chinese cultural arts that many do not truly want to continue as they only do it for the money,” he said.
A laborious task
Kong is now working on a huge wall sculpture at the Tiong Hock Kiong temple in Jalan Petanak, Kuching, which will include 36 Celestial Generals, Azure Dragon and White of the Taoism belief.
He said that the process of planning, drawing, sculpting, and painting will take a year. He is now in the fourth month of the project.
He shared the plans for his upcoming sculpture work, saying that the planning and deciding what to carve takes a week.
However, he spent 40 days drawing on the walls using a Chinese calligraphy brush.
With great attention to details, Kong’s speciality is his ability to sculpt the intricate features of each figurine.
Slapping cement onto the walls and afterwards carving on them, he would make an extra effort to ensure every element of his artwork is realistic.
“When necessary, I would use either wood or metal to create the weapons of the characters or deities to project authenticity.”
He also creates the garden structure and the altar for the deities in the temple. He would arrange them in accordance with the Chinese culture’s emphasis on good feng shui.
“Apart from the artistic aspect of this, I must also ensure that the patterns, designs, and items are arranged in such a way that they radiate positive energy. I will also advise the temple on where to place the structures based on my knowledge of feng shui.”
While he is currently sculpting at the Petanak temple, Kong’s works can be found at a number of temples throughout Sarawak.
The notable ones are the Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple at Carpenter Street, Qing Shan Temple at Muara Tebas, Hong San Si Temple at Carpenter Street and the dragon sculptures on the walls of Tua Pek Kong Temple.
His sculptures can also be seen in several temples in Pasir Pandak, Lundu, and other places.
