We all lose friends… we lose them in death, to distance, and over time. But even though they may be lost, hope is not. The key is to keep them in your heart, and when the time is right, you can pick up the friendship right where you left off. Even the lost find their way home, when you leave the light on.
– Amy Marie Waltz, American reading support teacher
As we were leaving the year 2022 to step into the new year 2023 our celebration was marred by the passing of a close friend and former colleague. On the last day of 2022, Michael Nelson died peacefully after a short illness aged 73. He was laid to rest after a prayer session at the Baptist Cemetery Mile 17, Siburan on January 2.
Mike, as he was fondly called, was a pastor with the Baptist Church after his retirement. As a former teacher and college lecturer, he was an eloquent speaker both in English and BM service. This Iban from Sri Aman, therefore spread the good news with full commitment and is always remembered by church goers as a kind and loving pastor. He leaves behind his wife Timah, three children and some grandkids.
I came to know Mike in 1979 as a lecturer in Rajang Teachers College (RTC) in Binatang (now Bintangor). He was teaching Arts Education while I was teaching Philosophy and Psychology of Education. In 1982 he left for further studies to do a degree course in Fine Arts at Universiti Sains Malaysia, my alma mater.
In fact initially he was reluctant to go as his wife was a housewife but I persuaded him to go as I was a product of the Fine Arts Department of USM and gave him names of lecturers and staff who he might need to know. So, he agreed and sold his car before going. In December of 1984 I visited him in Rumah Kelamin (where he stayed with his wife and kids) of USM Minden Campus when my wife and I were in Penang.
Back to our days in RTC (now IPG Rajang), we were very close friends. Apart from both being artists, we were also into music. In August 1979, we joined hands to form a band called The Rajang Sound with him as vocalist and other lecturers namely Sebastian Legak (now deceased) as rhythm guitarist, Sagim Suar on drums, Alias Abu Bakar as bassist whereas yours truly was lead guitarist. Another lecturer Josak Siam was doing keyboard as well as vocals.
Mike was our ‘Sir Cliff Richard’ for he was very fond of Cliff’s songs. In fact in 1981, we participated in the PSKPP (Education Department Sports and Culture Association) fest held in Batu Lintang Teacher Training College (BLTC – now IPG Batu Lintang) Kuching’s Brooke Hall. Mike sang two Cliff Richard numbers.
We were among top five bands out of nine bands contesting. Also partaking in the band was Carter Ballang Kapong as rhythm guitarist taking over from Sebastian, thereby making The Rajang Sound a truly Malaysian band comprising Iban, Bidayuh, Kelabit and Malay members.
Apart from the band, Mike was an ardent tennis player in RTC and later after his graduation with a degree in Fine Arts, he was posted to BLTC where he excelled and became a state tennis player. While in RTC we used to play against each other but I was always on the losing end.
Fast forward to his pastor days after he retired from BLTC, we met again when he and wife were operating a nasi lemak stall in Stutong and later in Tabuan Laru. That was when he introduced me to some of his canvases that he made over the years, especially during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.
In fact since 2016 he had painted over 100 pieces in oil and acrylic. As a member of the Sarawak Artists Society (SAS), he sold a good number of his paintings since making them in 2016 but sold more in 2020.
From my personal observation, he was influenced by a number of known artists or painters. His human figures do remind me of paintings of Tahiti origins by post-impressionist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) who utilised the cloisonnism painting style. It was noted that Gauguin decided to make a career out of his passion for painting and fled the old world in 1891 for the South Sea island of Tahiti.
It became a flight to an exotic paradise in Gauguin’s imagination and became his inspiration to produce paintings worth millions of dollars. Mike’s pieces are nothing less with his glowing colours and resplendent surfaces. There were also canvasses by Mike that showed the influence in terms of bold strokes in the style of post-impressionist Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.
His rare abstract piece is an influence of Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) one of the most renowned abstract expressionists in the history of art who had influenced numerous artists during his time and even years after his death.
There is so much to say about my late friend but space doesn’t permit. I pray for him to rest in everlasting peace.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
