INTRODUCTION

For a period of 500 years, trading between East and West and the consequential exchange of cultures between visitors and its inhabitants has left Penang a legacy that may not be found anywhere else in Asia. Penang was under British colonial rule for 171 years. During that time, influence from China, India, Islamic world and more mixed together, resulting in a unique and distinctive architectural style and culture. Penang has the largest concentration of unique architectural styles in Southeast Asia.  

Dr. K. Sato, an architect and self-taught artist, had been searching for a long-term place to stay after retirement for many years, He has travelled far to Northern Europe and Canada (which were related to his work and research), Southeast Asia and Australia (which are popular with Japanese) and also Hawaii and Guam as well.

He has chosen Penang finally. The reason was that Penang was a crossroads between Eastern and Western cultures, and had a cultural heritage of architecture. He first came to Penang 20 years ago – in 2004. For eight years from 2008 to 2016, he lived in Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi with his wife Michiko, enjoying his retirement life as an artist. In Georgetown, he sat down on the street two or three days a week with friends who also loved to painting, and continued to sketch architecture including various street life.

In 2010, Urban Sketchers Penang was launched by local artists, and now many local artists can be seen sketching on the streets of Georgetown.

His paintings show his unique perspective as an architect. Between the strong light and the shining buildings, you can see the conflict between Western and Asian civilizations. You may also find the various techniques when multiple ethnic groups co-exist.

Since 2016, he has switched to short-term stays, staying in Penang for one month a year, and continues to see Penang as one of the artists, comparing it with Japan and other overseas countries. In 2019, he held a solo exhibition at City Hall entitled “Insta Point@ Georgetown-Now and Before”.

It asks what was the Colonial Culture? and points out the importance of perceiving art with a time axis.

These works are permanently exhibited at our museum as one of collaborative project with Dr K. Sato.

His other project on the theme against the backdrop of the time axis is “Edo in Tokyo”, which simultaneously shows the scenery of the Edo period and the present.

He is also currently working on a collaborative project with our museum, Yi Nan Yang, called “Scenery Left by Chinese Great Civilization”.

Someday, he said to the Museum staff –

“I took the first breath, when I was born, of the air of mainland China. And the ancestors of many of the Malaysians, who helped me in Penang, came from mainland China”. And he said, “We should study and understand more the good old days of China.”