Pulau Perhentian @ The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac), Jalan Strachan, Off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur

This upcoming exhibition will feature a collection of 20 abstract acrylic paintings on canvas by Victor Chin about imaging the shimmering quality of light in the sea.

It was first inspired by a stay in Pulau Perhentian back in 2002. Over the past six years, the idea has developed into a series of paintings about the iridescent play of light in tropical waters – its diverse colours, textures, shapes and how all these elements play together endlessly.

What appears as flat brush marks, drips, stipples, streaks on the surface of the painting yield slowly to what lies below. The viewer, especially those who have memories of playing in water, snorkelling or diving, gradually makes out the seascape and can easily identify the various forms (fish, corals, treasure, caves etc) and the different conditions (day or night, clear or murky water etc) of the sea.

Of course, there is a vast room for interpretation between what is seen and what is felt. That in itself is part of the fun of looking at and finding out what the painting is about.