catmasutra by paul koh!

catmaSutra cat art gifts and collectibles

2009-11-12T20:32:00.006+08:00

...

Sara Lov - Fountain
animated by Seonna Hong.

...

Been raining crazy the past days... but then again, I do like the rain and its music. The sound of rain falling is like a grand symphony, the chorus followed by the melody...the air cool and moist with birds chirping their little songs one after another. It's all seamless, one blending into another, the waves of thumping raindrops, a strong outpouring and then fades and softens. We take for granted the passing of each day but the rain makes us stop and we should stop for a while. Maybe rain is like music, our little music videos that allow us to swim in its melody... In the grand scheme of things, our time here is short; it's as if we're living on borrowed time. Every thing fades and softens...

How I loved the rain-
Used to be
because it felt like
redemption
for things we did
and didn't do.

The comfort of rain-
because it seemed cold
but it's warm within.

It tasted bitter-sweet,

this hidden smile

this fateful tear

I still love the rain
but now only as change
from a sunny day..

A limited collection of selected catmaSutra cat art collectibles are now available locally in Singapore. These cheeky catmaSutra cats are 100% charming and happy and they make purrfect gifts! Go take a peek and browse through the different designs for tote bags, keepsake boxes, and tile coasters. Hurry as there's only one of each design while stock lasts. They're for local purchases only and there will be a 10% discount if you purchase them directly ;)

Everything is soul and flowering...
~Rumi

;)

Peace & Happiness

2009-11-01T13:03:00.158+08:00

I did a commission of his 2 Bengal cats, and he recommended this clip to me. He was sure that I will find some semblance of truth in it... And I couldn't agree more! So the clip below is an introductory guide to owning a playful cat, who in my case loves catching and chasing lizards, paper (crunched) balls, and his latest craze, a teddy bear key-chain which, when thrown at a fast pace resembled a mini furry creature scrambling for its dear life. Angel plays fetch of course, fetching you the above mentioned prey so that you can release it for its apparent pleasure.

The funny thing is that when we kept the teddy bear toy in a box, he would 'guard' over it by pretending to sleep and flip on his back near the box, which inherently means sleeping on our notebook and pressing countless keys on the keyboard. Below are some of the "stills" of Angel.

Incidentally, Angel peed on the sofa bed so play
was suspended temporarily pending further investigation...

We were of course pretty angry with the "devil-in-disguise" angel, and he received some silent treatment from us. However, after some detective work, we concluded that it was done under duress. There were obviously two piles of shit, with one piece of the shitty business conducted earlier by Halo which was a tad ostentatious in terms of smell. The second piece of business was done in quite a bit of haste, with the last of his chocolate nuggets left on the step just before the exit of the covered litter box.

Angel at the remand centre

As I happened to wake up late in the day Angel, who I'm sure had vowed at the spur of the moment never to ever deal in that area, decided to take his business elsewhere. We were pretty upset with him, as this was the second time in two weeks. We have to strip the mattress and cushions, scrub and spray smell-curbing chemicals and personal cologne , sun (which is hard to come by in the last couple of days), and finally add a touch of Bengay cream (actually it's for muscle ache) to sufficiently mask the stank of below-the-table business.

Angel relieved at the verdict

After serious deliberation, Angel was let off with a stern warning and found "not culpable in the first degree". We were away for a few days in the first instance and hence not around to be his efficient toilet keepers. He got away the second time as it was quite evident that he was under considerable duress and accepted that it was all a case of bad timing.We also refrain from calling Halo as co-defendant for this smelly episode.

An original commissioned catmaSutra painting
called "peace and happiness"
for Truffles and Silky, aka Paul and Helen

Here's Truffles...
It's a great thing that in commissioning the painting,
they have decided to go for the catmaSutra cats
rather than straight portraits of their cats.

Silky and Truffles

It's the spirit that matters...
Without the spirit,
there is nothing else...

;)

Standing the test of time

2009-10-15T19:24:00.003+08:00

The greatest thing a human soul ever does
in this world is to see something
and tell what he saw in a plain way.
To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion all in one.
~John Ruskin

Timescapes Timelapse: Mountain Light from Tom @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

Hundreds of thousands of impressions
from the invisible are wanting to come through you!

I get dizzy with the abundance. When life
is this dear, it means the source is pulling us.

Freshness comes from there. We're given the gift
of continuously dying and being resurrected.

catmaSutra cat art exhibition, From the Depths of My Lullaby:
Lotus Lullaby

He was an elderly fellow, tanned, sporting an earring, and carrying two bags, each sling across the shoulders. He walked with a limp towards us, but stopped half way as he spied a black and white cat in the furniture shop before the eatery. He made eye-contact with the cat and with his body gestures, which must be a language in itself to the cat, he strained to bend over, and putting his hand into one bag like a magician, he released a handful of dry colorful cat food pellets into a plastic bowl (seems like these two are already acquainted). Breaking into a little smile, he proceeded towards the eatery where I was eating my prawn noodle, and he started gesturing to the people in the eatery that he needed some money to feed himself. He went from table to table and met with the usual response. People averted their eyes and shook their heads. I've prepared a two dollar note and that would be my gift to him if he came by but he didn't. Randomly, he moved from table to table and before long, limped away...

I've "met" a few cats in my time (especially as i started when I was a kid), in some alley or by the road side. It is a language without words, an understanding of our inherent natures, almost. There are, of course, cats who are afraid and ran off the minute you catch their attention. One can only imagine how the fear got into them. Then, there are those who recognize the language, and like many similar instances, I find myself sitting on the pavement by the roadside stroking a purring stray cat. I would then run off to some 7-11 and buy a packet of cat food. That was my chance meeting with a cat, and by this chance, the cat was going to get a tasty meal. What is interesting is that some of these cats are already quite well-fed and it was there spending time with you simply because it wanted to.There was one black and white cat at Empress place that I remember quite fondly as it loves to sit on the lap... It's hard to leave them once you made the connection.

Our street cats

I have no name for what

purrs so perfectly

from out of our urban wild...

The elderly man was begging for food
and he feeds a stray on the street.

There is an understanding of
what it's like to be on your own,

or what it's like to be alone,

or what it's like to be poor and old

Take your pick

the one that purrs on the street

purrs straight into

the poor little heart.

And only the ones with

the heart can see.

My colleague and I were walking back from lunch one day when we almost bump into an old lady. She was trying to sell tissue packets to passers-by. We walked past her but turned around. We gave her $2 each and asked her to go have a good meal. We didn't need the tissue so we didn't take any. She was surprised and stood motionless for a while before saying her thank yous. That was our chance meeting with the old lady, and by this chance, she was going to at least get a decent meal.

Reason has no way to say

its love. Only love opens

that secret.

If you want

to be more alive, love

is the truest health.

~Rumi

;)

Freedom to choose

2009-10-08T03:47:00.001+08:00

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress

can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

Do we treat our animals well? How does our government view animals? If I were to venture an answer, the answer would be they have no views. They are not significant enough unless they're the cause (or suspected of being the cause) of an epidemic, or there are complaints from the 'majority of Singaporeans' (one of the favourite phrases that you'll hear ... We have grown a lot as a nation, and yet in many ways, we have not grown at all... Sometimes you wonder... A woman feeds a group of stray cats, and the most common comments you'll hear is "Is this hygienic? Should we call the authorities?" There're so many hit-and-run cases regarding cats that you wonder about the nature of people.

Ever occur to you why some of us can be
this much concerned with animals suffering?
Because government is not. Why not?
Animals don't vote. ~Paul Harvey

Sat on my Ikea stool at the yard at 3 am, listening to music from my Ipod, eating sesame moon cake and drinking green tea, and talking philosophy (not much point with regard to politics). I think this phrase is true, '90% of what we feel is only our own interpretation', meaning that we are all addicted or attached to something, and finding means and reasons to justify them. We are all addicts, one way or another, and it's difficult to let go - to change one habit for another. It's hard because we normally try to replace a bad habit with a good one. Makes you wonder how we pick up all these bad habits in the first place; it's as if we are being subconsciously hypnotized (which may be true in more ways than one). Finished another painting today. It's rather an experimental one, called the "color of yellow". Slowing life down to exacting beauty. It's a beautiful way to live when the present is all you have.

Angel, my blue Russian has taken an instant liking to a key-chain teddy bear that I brought home, and as we adjourned into the yard, he has taken upon himself to carry the teddy bear to near where we sat, half-looking at us, hoping that we'll play catch again. Haha, he's looking for it now although I have hid it before he pulls out the limbs...

peace ;)

catmaSutra Artees
10% goes to Cat Welfare Society

With animals,
we have the freedom to choose...
to love, protect, care OR to fear, hate, abuse

How we choose

determines the kind of person that we are.

Nothing goes away,

we get better or we get worse.

;)

That ingredient of Life

2009-09-25T01:35:00.000+08:00

"Someone said Brecht wanted everybody to think alike. I want everybody to think alike... Everybody looks alike and acts alike, and we're getting more and more that way." Andy Warhol commenting on social mechanization in 1963.

Tomato-based catfish Soup

Makes me wonder how we are all the same and more interestingly how we are different. Seems like there is this special ingredient that is hidden in a capsule (so to speak) that is buried within us when we are born. Our goal perhaps is to find this capsule and unravel it before it dissolves away, or gets hidden by tons of other things that mean much less to us. Our body and our senses are very much the same. They are subjected to all kinds of distractions, temptations and naturally, an operating system that program us to be whatever nationality we are and all the associated quirks.

Adapted from Obedience School 101

It's easy to see the special ingredient, it seems, if we are artists, musicians, or writers; whether we follow our 'calling' or give in to the 'programming sequence' is another question. Money, and security comes with the operating system especially if it's made in Singapore. It may be quite baffling when the special ingredient is not quite so apparent but it's there nevertheless. That's probably the main reason why we are different. Some people simply love watching TV above everything else (why not go into that industry one way or another), others may be gregarious in nature and the service industry may be a perfect match. Bottom line is, we have to consciously search for that buried capsule with our very own x-factor, and find a place in the world where we can fully utilize it, unravel it. That, I suspect, is part of the secret to happiness. When we are in our element, we can only get better.

No Parking on Rooftops

If we allow the operating system complete control, then inevitably, we'll get lost somewhere and we'll start to wonder where we're heading, and whether it's worth it. Many things that we seemingly need are not worth the trouble. Life can really be better with less, if what’s left is what you love.

;)

New cat art gifts and collectibles!

2009-09-19T14:34:00.002+08:00

Catmasutra cat art is based on the real-life adventures of the artist and his two cats. The adventures begin somewhere between this reality and the dream world of imagination. It’s like an “in-between” world, a gap that perhaps the cats are the best navigators, and the artist a hitchhiker, grateful for the directions in a purely weightless realm. The world is never a mechanical thing, set in its course, bland and monotonous but it is always expanding with possibilities; It's up to us to see the full potential according to our own vision. No one else can think exactly how each of us think, or feel and for this reason, no other person or authority can judge what we really need to make our life more complete as ourselves. We must find out for ourselves what our nature needs to bring it permanent happiness. Then comes the harder part, to let go of our fears and find the freedom to be ourselves completely. This is the world of catmaSutra cats, a world made up of imagination and stories, of childish things, of fairy tales, mythmaking, and all the flights of fancy that grants this artist his
delight.

"The highest truth is something imagined,

not proved, and that it comes not in arguments

but in stories..."

Cat lovers alert! Now you can own a little piece of the latest Catmasutra cat art pieces on these cute, vibrant and adorable cat art collectibles! Filled with irrepressible charm & wit, the collection includes keepsake boxes, framed tiles, tote bags, tile coasters, cat art magnet.

More of the latest designs coming your way soon!

Time...

2009-09-10T01:04:00.007+08:00

"No need to announce the future.
This now is it. This.
Your deepest need and desire
is satisfied by the moment's energy
here in your hand."
~Rumi

Time - a curious thing. Seems like it was from a dream... time as a stream where you can touch and take a swim in. Swimming backwards seems easier than forward, but each time it gets so shallow that you just stand up and walk out, realizing that you have just wasted your time. The future's like an open sea - it doesn't seem to have a point, nor does it need to have one. It's just that, the open sea. The present is the future. Slowing time down to a standstill... the ultimate bliss ;)

Love this video...
(Makes me think of time...)

Lifetime Spring/Summer 2010 from Trevor Fleming on Vimeo.

;)

Sunscreen

2009-09-07T11:47:00.009+08:00

EVERYBODY'S FREE (TO WEAR SUNSCREEN) by BAZ LUHRMAN (edited)

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth;
oh never mind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

Don’t worry about the future;
or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life
are apt to be things that never crossed
your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday

Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts,
don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy;
sometimes you’re ahead,
sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end,
it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive,
forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters,
throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know
what you want to do with your life…
the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22
what they wanted to do with their lives,
some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees,
you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry,
maybe you won’t,
maybe you’ll have children,
maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40,
maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…

what ever you do,
don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either –
your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…
don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it,
it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own...

Dance…
even if you have nowhere to do it
but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines,
they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings;
they are the best link to your past
and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,
but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle
because the older you get, the more you need the people
you knew when you were young.

Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise,
politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do
you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable,
politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse;
but you never know when either one might run out.

Be careful whose advice you buy,
but, be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past
from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts
and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…
&
magic beans...

;)

Follow your bliss

2009-08-18T22:25:00.006+08:00

Haven't written for a while. Am a real sucker for a balcony. It's a way to be and breathe. Don't really like watching TV, and let someone else project images into my head. We're such suckers for distraction, as if afraid of our own thoughts, we while ourselves away doing things we would never care to remember. Now, I'm in my little yard, 1.5m in length, 0.5 m in width, with a bottle of hoegaarden and some doritos. Angel, as usual, took first licks at the beer and the chips. Facing my lime plant, and half-chewed palm-like plant, watching the sky and our foreign talents playing cricket in the field across me. Used to write when it rains, half-wishing it would rain now.There's the litter of kittens who grew up on the roof next door. They've grown now but still trying to sneak beneath the fence.They're wondering why they're not able to squeeze through. And the territorial white male cat who have tried to establish territory in my yard has taken to a staring competition with Angel complete and their own version of karaoke; he has now decided to take me on leading me into a anxiety-filled dream with sinister overtones. Woke up next morning stoned. Sat on a blue Ikea plastic stool, back against the sun-bleached wall, watching the sky with eyes closed, soaking up the sun, and the chirping of birds. Thank god for a balcony...ten minutes and then it's time to leave for work...

The soul is always ambitious in its desire to know itself.

Go to a garden and just stand in it.
Recharge your inner batteries ;)

Thank you from the depths of my lullaby!

2009-08-05T00:36:00.005+08:00

Thank you from the depths of my lullaby, for all those involved and everyone who visited and supported the catmaSutra inaugural exhibition in Hong Kong (Gallery by the Harbour)! Having been back for a few weeks already (you wonder how time files), and now gearing up to prepare for the 6th annual catmaSutra show in Singapore (December). Hopefully, I will be back in Hong Kong next year for a second show...also thinking of exhibiting in Japan... ;)

;)

An unfinished story from years ago...

2009-08-03T23:13:00.002+08:00

What does it feel like to be travelling through space, if space is not ‘empty’ but a semi-solid celluloid dream? Riding a bike is like this, it is beautiful. You concentrate on the road as you need to, yet somebody else is projecting images in your head. It flashes in front of you - a different skyline, a different sun, different shadows, different faces, different emotions - as you move through something more than empty space.

The dark is like space, never empty, but full of shadows, ghosts. You can touch the darkness, hold it in your hands. You can breathe it in and let it sink into you till it squeezes a tear or hardens into stone. It’ll touch you, blind you, drown you, and take you if you let it. And there is no darkness like space trapped within closed doors - doors that are closed but always open. And the dark is like that - you can open it like a door.

And I remember the ride back from the sea. The sun is setting. The highway takes me up, higher and higher. The sky - it’s vast, massive, limitless, all encompassing, and it’s concave. It makes my heart spin but I see the skyscrapers in front - they’re like concrete scraping the sky. I wonder if it bleeds. I bleed. I’ll stop bleeding.

Is true love the same as death?
I used to think that death is the absence of self. That death is nothing more than losing one’s self completely and eternally. That the feeling is passing but pervasive like the last heartbeat. One breath, one thought, one beat and the air stops. The mind stops. The heart stops. Nothing means anything anymore. Just this merging with the darkness, - this complete formlessness.
Is love like that?
How would you want to die?
If I were to die, I would do it watching the sky.
I love the sky. It’s different every time you look at it. It’s vast, massive, limitless, all encompassing, and it’s concave. It makes my heart spin; it makes me get up and dance, it changes but it always stays the same. From one corner of the earth to another, it’s the same sky. I need the sky. I need the sky to know that everything is still brand new and the same. I need the sky to carry me away. That’s my suicide wish.

;) yeah - that kind of mood...

CatmaSutra goes to Hong Kong, the sights, the tastes, the big Buddha...

2009-07-22T00:27:00.015+08:00

From the Depths of my Lullaby
Gallery by the Harbour, Shop 207, Level 2,
Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong

4 Jul 09 (Sat) - 28 Jul 09 (Tue)
11am - 9pm daily
Ms Chloe Fong T: (852) 2118 8008

This was technically the second time that I visited Hong Kong. The first was just a stop-over where I didn't even venture out. It was summer and terribly hot and the streets were just too crowded (it seemed too much like Singapore). This time round, I went with some friends who know some friends in Hong Kong, and i guessed I felt the vibe of Hong Kong. This goes to show how much a place can differ if you have the opportunity to meet some really nice and sweet people. That's the real charm of a place.

You think, that since the term was coined, "the Four Asian Tigers" referring to the highly developed economies of Singapore and Hong Kong, (South Korea and Taiwan are the other two) between the early 1960s and 1990s, that the two cities must be alike - crowds of people, fast-paced lifestyle. That immediately reduces my desire to visit Hong Kong as a holiday destination. But one can also not deny the energy and vibrancy of the place, and it's huge. There are lots of spaces for culture to grow organically, for different energies and sub-cultures to develop. Some chaos is essentially required for this energy to surface. That's when Singapore feels like a manicured garden, very much controlled and censored. It's as if the government is afraid of culture, and hence, must always "manage" it, and in doing so, these organic energies are essentially diluited and lost.

As more and more Singaporeans travel and experience the vastness that is so different from our own country and culture, perhaps we would be able to feel that life is bigger, much bigger than this life that we're supposed to live. So Rock-a-bye... live and let live, open your heart and travel. The world's just different places under one sky, not unlike the heart.

catmasutra, interview with the Standard, Hong Kong

2009-07-19T22:01:00.006+08:00

Don't miss out if you're in Hong Kong!Purrfect picture

Joyce Kam, The Standard, Hong Kong
Friday, July 03, 2009

Paul koh's paintings are sure to put a smile on your face. Cats with ear-to-ear grins add a light-hearted touch to each of the acrylics in his CatmaSutra series, so named because it is meant to depict the different positions and attitudes of his signature animal.

"Through the years, the CatmaSutra cat has evolved its own story. It's almost alive in its own way, snuggling into different situations and making itself comfortable at every instance," said Koh, who has been working on the series since 2004.

"Its big smile, or the eyes-wide-shut and ear-to-ear grin, represents a deep- seated childhood innocence cum devil- may-care bravado."

Koh's latest artworks will debut at Harbour City's Gallery by the Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui tomorrow. The show, "From The Depths of My Lullaby," will feature 25 paintings until July 28. The imperturbable cat is everywhere - stuck in a Chinese soup jar, sleeping on a lotus leaf or playing mahjong.

The quirky style in the paintings is based on the personality of Koh's two pets, Halo and Angel. He reckons the series is as a gateway to a new space, a wonderland where emotions are innocent enough to run free, and dreams more than just make-believe.

At times, Koh pays tribute to the masters by having the cat sailing under the great wave of Katsushika Hokusai's famous painting, taking a coffee break at Vincent Van Gogh's yellow house and hanging on in a Piet Mondrian composition.

"It's a way of immersing myself via the cat into the classic paintings I love. In the explorations, the cat is the navigator and we are hitchhikers, grateful for directions in a perfectly innocent and weightless realm," said Koh.

Having grown up with cats his entire childhood, he finds his paintings were inspired by his association, friendship and understanding of the felines.

"The cats in my home were not house cats. They were free to roam wherever and whenever. They were independent individualists, and freedom was their modus operandi. Wherever they are, they seem capable of being happy," he said.

The paintings are priced between HK$5,400 and HK$12,100, and there are collectibles such as tote bags, keepsake boxes and coasters.

Said Koh: "Honestly, it's a bittersweet feeling when the paintings get sold. Each of them is dear to me as it is a tribute to a happy story that'll put a smile on our faces. I grew up with cats and I hope each CatmaSutra painting rekindles a little of everything that we believe to be true as children."

Date: July 4 to 28

Time: 11am to 9pm

Venue: Gallery by the Harbour
(Shop 207, Level 2, Ocean Center, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui)

Inquiry: 2118-0090

;)

cat art - playing with the classic paintings...

2009-06-29T00:18:00.007+08:00

In a perfectly weightless world, the adventures of the cat begin! This is an exploration of the classic paintings I love. It’s a way of immersing myself via the cat into the adventures of these masterpieces. How else can you sail the great wave in Hokusai’s painting, pose in Botero's still life, or appear between Mondrian's lines? It’s about entering into a dialogue with these classic paintings and making them accessible to viewers from another perspective. It is akin to Warhol creating art out of an ordinary soup can. By introducing the cat, a door is opened and the audience is invited to participate in the painting.

Still Life with Botero

In a big and grandiose world of Botero, my fat catmasutra cat fits right in. (Fact is that my cat has taken very much to sleeping on the table, and she loves to prop herself against whatever she can find). A perfect model for a still life portrait, if I do say so myself ;)

Still Life with Fruits- Botero (1978)

"Catch me if you can" is a throw-back to the Hokusai's sea paintings. There's somethimg momentous of his paintings, as if caught in a frame of time. This painting is largely about the value of freedom and the ability to let go. We are always chasing the wrong things. Instead of chasing, maybe we should just enjoy the ride, and let nature take care of things for a change.

Catch me if you can

This one is, of course, a play on Mondrain's art, which is in essence, an exploration via intuition into pure abstraction, "I construct lines and color combinations on a flat surface, in order to express general beauty with the utmost awareness. Nature (or, that which I see) inspires me, puts me, as with any painter, in an emotional state so that an urge comes about to make something, but I want to come as close as possible to the truth and abstract everything from that, until I reach the foundation (still just an external foundation!) of things…

Incidents within the lines

I believe it is possible that, through horizontal and vertical lines constructed with awareness, but not with calculation, led by high intuition, and brought to harmony and rhythm, these basic forms of beauty, supplemented if necessary by other direct lines or curves, can become a work of art, as strong as it is true."

And from pure abstraction, as a reversal, reveals its beauty. "Incidents within the lines" is about our imagination, the beauty we find in-between if we open our eyes. It's about imaginary friends and day-dreaming... its about finding a language for which no words are required...

;)

catmaSutra cat art - Land on the other side of the rainbow

2009-06-23T23:59:00.014+08:00

Land without Boundaries

Keep walking, though there's no place to get to.
Don't try to see through the distances.
That's not for human beings. Move within,
but don't move the way fear makes you move.
~Rumi

Land without boundaries is a place within. We forget that there is such a place, a place that we all wish for, a place without war, cruetly, hunger, fear, or pain. We may even feel that such a place no longer exists. We find cruelty everywhere - from the way animals are kept and slaughtered to the power of the wealthy over the poor- and we learn to walk away. I think sometimes we forget that whatever we do, we do it to ourselves. Nothing goes away in this world. It's cause and effect. Everything gets imprinted. When we finally leave this place, there is nothing we can bring with us, just this place within us. It can be peaceful and beautiful, or it can be terrifying. Don't move the way fear makes you move. This is a repetitive world made up of the sums of all our choices. This is a universe of potentialities, waiting for an intervention to affect the outcome. Love is an intervention. Why do we not choose it again and again?"

SPCA and Cat Welfare Society are offering a $2,000 Reward* for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of the person/s who may be responsible for the suspected poisoning of cats at Bayshore Park condominium since Thursday, 11 June. Please call SPCA at 6287 5355 ext 9. You may be required to assist the police in their investigation. The affected felines were found unconscious or disoriented. Five have since died or have been put down. Cruelty to animals is a crime under Singapore law and is punishable by imprisonment of up to 12 months and/or fine of up to $10,000.

The other side of the rainbow

Some nights stay up till dawn,
as the moon sometimes does for the sun.
Be a full bucket pulled up the dark way
of a well, then lifted out into light

The other side of the rainbow, on the other side of this great big world.

Something opens our wings. Something
makes boredom and hurt disappear.
Someone fills the cup in front of us.
We taste only sacredness.

If I open my eyes, I can see the blue sky.
And the sunlight on my face, and the sounds of birds...
It's easier than fear and all its derivatives...

;)

Catmasutra cat art lands in Hong Kong!

2009-06-16T22:32:00.013+08:00

Catmasutra is in Hong Kong!

Cat of Prosperity(18 x 24")

After a flurry of events, the paintings have safely arrived in Hong Kong ;) What better way to introduce catmaSutra cat art in today's somewhat dampened climate than the "Cat of Prosperity". Taking inspiration from The Maneki Neko or the 招き猫, the CatmaSutra cat of Prosperity is armed not with one but four prosperity charms. The gold coin is called a koban, (used during the Edo period in Japan), and it is deemed to worth ten million ryō (千万両). The mallet, on the other hand, can be traced back to Daikoku, variously known to be the god of wealth, or of the household, particularly the kitchen. He is recognised by his eyes-wide-closed and ear-to-ear smile, and a flat black hat (hmm...perhaps the catmasSutra cat comes from his household ;) He is often portrayed carrying a golden 'magic money' mallet called a Uchide Nokozuchi. The golden mallet can magically produce anything Daikokuten desires when he strikes it. Quite customary for Maneki Neko, the catmaSutra cat wears a red collar but here with a Kame, a tailed tortoise longevity charm as they are fabled to live ten thousand years.

Last but not least, is the catmaSutra cat's very own Tai Fish (sea beam), a symbol of good fortune as it is almost always depicted with its captor, the god Ebisu. Ebisu is one of the Seven Lucky Gods (or Shichifukujin), and he embodies candour, wealth, the morning sun, and young children as well as being the patron god for fishermen and fair business practices. As the myth goes, Ebisu was born without bones and was cast out to sea in a boat of reeds. Despite his hardships, he eventually evolved into the ever-smiling god, Ebisu.

Of course, more valuable than any of these prosperity charms is the ability to smile, come what may, in good and bad times. That's the essense of the catmaSutra cat!

Wonder without Willpower (30 x 30")

Inside water, a waterwheel turns.
A star circulates with the moon.

We live in the night ocean,

what are these lights?
~
You have said what you are.
I am what I am.
Your actions in my head,
my head here in my hands
with something circling inside.
I have no name
for what circles
so perfectly.

;)

Catmasutra cat art in Hong Kong!

2009-06-10T23:27:00.006+08:00

Finally, most of the preparations for my catmaSutra cat art exhibition in Hong Kong are done! Hopefully now I could also spend a little more time blogging... so stay tuned for more sneak previews of the new pieces I've done for this exhibition, "catmaSutra - From the Depths of My Lullaby". The exhibition will open in the Gallery by the Harbour ( Level 2, Ocean City) at Harbour city, Tsimshatsui from 4 to 28 July.

Art is somewhat like the DNA of the artist. It encapsulates a personal history in an external form, a signature or a finger print. You can always find traces of the artist in his art, a hidden story or a layered emotion. Perhaps that's what makes art interesting - it's always personal. And because it's personal, the potential to connect becomes evident. After all, we are the human condition. As such, art is one of the few media that can be pure. In other words, there is no need to layer a lifestyle aspiration over it for commercial purposes!

"From the Depths of My Lullaby" is a tribute to the happy story that we all know. It's a lullaby, a soothing song, that lulls us to sleep (when we were kids of course). Each catmaSutra painting has always been about this simplicity, this purity of emotion that we seemingly forget while growing up. Painting and playing with my cats always bring back this feeling - quiet, peaceful. These are the two things I grew up with, though in our haste, we tend to forget what we love. Our lives become too busy and complicated; we over-value what we think we know as adults versus what we know as children in our hearts. Hopefully, this collection of catmaSutra cat paintings rekindles a little of everything that we believe to be true as children.

;)

When worlds collide

2009-05-21T01:17:00.001+08:00

All day and night, music,
a quiet, bright
reedsong. If it
fades, we fade.
~Rumi

Truth tell, anywhere is a life, once there is love...

Is this the universe, lying across the knees of one who mourns? Things dying...things new-born. There will be a story of a world held in a walnut shell, cracked open by love's finger and thumb. There will be a story of a planet small as a ball, and a child threw it, or a dog ran away with it, and dropped it on the floor of the Universe, where it swelled into a world.

How we think about our world... not just this one but the many worlds that live within us. What we love, we keep alive or else we die not knowing what we've lost. Everything has a lifespan... If only we could see the beginning and the end, we would treasure the time in-between even more. And at the designated time, we walk away and there would be no need to turn back. The flowers on my lime plant bloomed and fell away, each leaving behind a tiny green dot which, with a little blessing will grow into a whole new world. There are kittens playing on the roof, kittens being themselves wholeheartedly, in the present moment, open to whatever happens. And there is a woman who happens to comes by in the night to feed them. A new world opens...

A quantum universe - neither random or determined.
A universe of potentialities, waiting for an intervention
to affect the outcome. Love is an intervention.
Why do we not choose it?

~Jeanette Winterson
;)

Eyes-wide-opened!

2009-05-12T00:45:00.010+08:00

Eyes-wide-opened. Life is so personal and yet impersonal. Remembering the movie, "Accuracy of Death", it is indeed a wonder how death in general is "nothing special", and yet to the individual, it means everything or everything else. If you look at our history as a human race, and simply by the number of wars we have fought, the death toll must be a staggering number. Yet it means almost nothing to the living. We may watch some really bad news over the telly, but as long as it doesn't really affect us, life goes on as usual. It's as if nothing changes. Young people become old people, new generations replace old ones. Nothing lasts - it is just another drop in the puddle, another wave in the coming and going of the tide. Nothing really matters. So how to live?

Death is a good way to learn how to live. That should be the first rule, because it takes away most of our problems. Faced with death, everything else seems trivial, and the seemingly little things that we take for granted become important - the simple beauty of life becomes apparant. This is our the spirituality regardless of religious inclinations. To understand our own true nature is the road towards spirituality, and for that, nature is the best teacher (personally it's the cat, the sky and currently a lime plant haha ;)! The second rule, for me, is the practice - that's one of the hardest thing to do as we're caught up in so many things. So take time to stop (and that includes playing your PSP when you have nothing to do, or fiddling with that i-touch). Visit with nature. Have faith that you will find yourself, and you will.

We all walk two paths. One is based on physical reality and the day-to-day. The day-to-day has a big hold on us. It grinds us down with the same old things, make us weary, impatient, and will leave us complaining and frittering our days away. It becomes important then to break that hold in whatever ways you can think of!

The other path is the inner journey (or the spiritual path), and that is always a great adventure. It'll take you to places you'll never dream of...

Collect catmaSutra zen-inspired cat art collectibles!

;)

Orange Sky!

2009-05-02T00:21:00.010+08:00

One of the most beautiful piece of nature you can find anywhere is the sky. What makes it so great is that it can be part of your home. You just need a window (I love balconies but that's such a rare commodity these days) - one window to one sky that houses the rest of the world. You can't help but feel that everything is connected that way...

So lie on the floor and look up, or turn upside down and look down at it, touch it, play with it. It's a beautiful, ever-changing landscape. In the afternoons, my cats always come down to sun themselves for a while before moving to slumber in the shade. Watching the cats sleep, like watching the sky, is a great way to stop and do nothing for a while. Sometimes I think we're too concerned about using time. We do whatever we need to do, and when're we free, we still do whatever we need to do (like watching TV...). We never stop.

The weather is terribly hot these days, but the sunsets are awesome! Once, the entire sky was painted with yellow hues and as the sun set, the entire canvas turned orange (the photos below were not treated in any way). I'm moving again to another place. It has been a real adventure moving from one part of Singapore to another, (feels like an expat in your own country) although it's one of the most energy-sapping exercise that you'll swear that you'll never do it again. Also realized how attached I am to so many things, things that you probably wouldn't need and couldn't bring anywhere in the end. It's probably time to let go.

And is there anything you would withhold?
Some day, all that you have shall be given.
The trees give that they may live,
for to withhold is to perish.
~Khalil Gibran

This we have now
is not imagination.

This is not
grief or joy.

Not a judging state,
or an elation,
or sadness.

those come
and go.

This is the presence
that doesn't.

~Rumi

;)

squiggles

2009-03-23T13:08:00.010+08:00

Who gets up early to discover the moment light begins?
Who finds us here circling, bewildered, like atoms?
Who comes to a spring thirsty
and sees the moon reflected in it?

Chase a deer and end up everywhere!
An oyster opens his mouth to swallow one drop.
Now's there's a pearl.
A vagrant wanders empty ruins.
Suddenly he's wealthy.

But don't be satisfied with stories, how things
have gone with others. Unfold
your own myth...

...Your legs will get heavy
and tired. Then comes a moment
of feeling the wings you've grown,
lifting.
~Rumi

Let go of expectation. Go for intention. Find and enjoy what you can on the journey. Life is a merry-go-round and we think it's a straight line. Be grateful if you're thrown out of it ;) at least now, you can rejoin knowing it can be fun, regardless.

Life’s a mess, a bunch of squiggles and doodles, and never a straight line. It's the imperfections that make something perfect. I love the mess. No matter how hard I try to keep my desk tidy, I know it'll end up a mess again, a beautiful recycled mess. Put life against the ruler. If you can measure it, then it's not worth it. Haha Life is never fair. One can always find someone else having a larger slice of the pie, or in a better position and vice-versa. These are the trojan horses on the merry-go-round; sometimes you go up, and sometimes you go down. So it's a matter of practice and patience to slow down a bit and really see. Prescribe your own myth, find the things that are hidden at first glance. Life is no worse or better, but when it's no longer a straight line, we're free to choose.

Catmasutra Collectibles: Smile-Getters Tile Coasters

"Because we do not rest, we lose our way.
We miss the compass points that show us where to go,
the nourishment that gives us succor,
the quiet that gives us wisdom.”
~Wayne Muller

;)

New cat art collectibles from Catmasutra!

2009-01-19T23:27:00.010+08:00

Collect all 5 elements from the catmaSutra 'Enlightened Series'
(Highly recommended: the keepsake boxes, tile coasters, and framed tiles!)

The modern world is never about balance. It's the imbalance that makes her go round. The world is huge, but we want to squeeze everything into the palms of our hand. And we call it a good thing. We used to play in the rain out in the open, now young children are glued to their PSPs. There's no way we can find balance in the modern world, as she sells us another version of "balance" on her terms. There's always another version.

When we lose our balance, we try to plan for the future, set new year resolutions... plan to give ourselves more time (which is a near impossibility sometimes). Truth is we can never find balance out there. No matter how we plan, we just can't seem to get the balance right. So stop. Just be with yourself for a while (forget about the world) and breathe. Haha ;) The best way to prepare for the future is to take care of the present. When we stop chasing the future, we realize we're actually good right here in the present moment. If we can't stay still; if we can't stop awhile, we would already have missed our appointment with life. You can never find a way that'll lead you to balance, peace or happiness. Balance, peace or happiness are themselves the way. All we have is our inner compass. Everything points to the present. Live. Live in the present.

Water for
an overwhelmingly 'earthy' year
with the ox being an earth animal,
and this being an earth year...

;)

Lucky Star

2009-01-10T00:46:00.011+08:00

Time is not constant. Time in stories least of all. Anyone can fall asleep and lose generations in their dreams. There are times when all the stories that are folded into this one can be shaken out and let loose, but until then, like the lives of saints, more is contained than can be revealed. The world itself will roll up like a scroll taking time and space away. All stories end here.

There are people who will be whisked away in closed cars to comfortable beds. The rest of us will search for the bus. Luggage. Heaven or hell in the hereafter will be luggage or the lack of it. The ones who recognized that love is enough and that possessions are borrowed pastimes, will float free through the exit sign, their arms ready to hug their friends, their toothbrush in their pocket. The one who stayed up late, gathering and gathering like demented bees, will find that you can take it with you. The joke is that you have to carry it yourself.

The moon and the white clouds at the window. How many times have I seen it before? Perhaps it is true that the world is made new again every day but our minds are not. The clamp that holds me will not let me go.

How shall i live? I was living wasn't I?

lucky star (2008)

I dreamed I was a single moment in a single day.

Quotes _ jeanette winterson

;)

Catmasutra - When nature calls

2009-01-04T19:31:00.012+08:00

When Nature Calls (2008) Wallpaper

Get more Catmasutra wallpapers here

I have lost my rhythm and I was trying to find it back. It won't come, of course. That's not how rhythms work. It has to do its thing first. The journey is to find it back. We all do this one time or another (or maybe it's just me for I can't live on the surface of things). Like most things, when you look for it, it's not there but when you're ready (and perhaps not expecting it) it appears. I saw a little boy at the supermarket yesterday, standing still. Amidst the maddening crowd, this little kid was there holding up a single prawn with his fingers, slowly rotating and looking at it from different angles. I stood there for a while, watching him and I realized he was completely captivated by the prawn. It was almost as if he finally understood what a prawn really is. The mother returned with a disapproving look and sent him off to wash his hands - the real world beckons - there is no time for magic.

I sell magic beans 'cause I believe in them. It's not something that you keep to yourself. There's just no fun in that. Besides, it helps me to believe in them. See the eyes sparkle for an instant, feel the heart open a little - there's the magic, however fleeting. Alas, if you're like most people (or like Jack's mother) you probably throw them away. There is no place for magic. I sell magic beans because one day when you look at your backyard, you may be able to see a huge beanstalk growing; and if you're lucky enough you could even climb it, steal a glimpse above the clouds. It's hard to believe in magic when no one else believes in it. Yet we all believe in it once upon a time.

Many times I've told myself not to sell magic beans anymore simply because there are no takers. What's the point? Why do I care? There're so many things on sale these days. No matter how many were bought, the shelves keep filling themselves up (almost like magic). Where do all these things go? If that's not enough, we have the 24-hour Valium of the television to lose ourselves in.

"If everything I have become were not machine-made I
might be able to take the risk of being human with you."
~Jeanette Winterson

;)

Christmas goodies - Catmasutra Wallpapers

2008-12-25T14:58:00.009+08:00

We can't say 'peace' enough. I think beauty queens should wish for world peace and it shouldn't feel pathetic. I think Radio Dee-Jays should wish for peace without apologizing. I think before we can get drunk, we should wish for peace. Haha it's funny, really, how it has become a little embarrassing to wish for world peace... Maybe it's such an improbable wish that nobody really believes in any more.

It's not hard to know what we want; we basically want the same things (love, peace, happiness) and yet we do the very things that hurt others and ourselves in turn. So the karma continues and the cycle goes round and round. There are so many things that we lack control that we have given up, watching the news (the main channel for bad news), just wishing that nothing bad would happen to us. Our lives will change - that's a certainty, sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worst. There is never a fixed way for life to happen. It happens in all kinds of ways, sometimes bizarre, surreal, beautiful or downright depressing. We just have to take and then let go. Peace starts right here...

Merry Christmas!
Peace, love, and everything nice under the blue sky...

Free catmasutra wallpapers -
get these goodies now!

18th - 28th DECEMBER 2008
@ UTTERLY ART
229A South Bridge Road Singapore 058778 2nd Level

Opening reception: Thursday 18th December 2008 at 7pm
Opening hours: 11am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday

;)