THE watercolour exhibition A Touch Of Life by Choh Kiat Siong expresses unique elements of luminosity, freshness and clarity. Using the interplay of light, colour and shadow, his realistic impressions assume an innate human quality.

The main subjects in his recent collection such as livestock, the peaceful life in the villages, street scenes and stately heritage buildings are done in great detail. His signature work is his masterful depiction of geese, which he funnily refers to as his "mascot". His geese are seen in the forest, rubber estates and padi fields, and he plays on their curiosity of the things around them. He has also painted pigeons, hens, cows and rabbits.

His still-lifes, which include the interiors of the cooking and reading areas of the kampung houses, document a rustic environment. Flowerpots, oil lamps, teapots, clogs and calendars set against an old wall tell a lot about the place.

Like many artists, Choh is concerned about heritage buildings. He describes these buildings as "full of life and meaning". Here, he adds people, trishaws and bicycles to give a sense of life in these buildings. Among his favourite buildings are the Balai Nobat in Alor Star, Campbell Market and Kapitan Kling Mosque, both in Penang, as well as many landmarks in that city.

The charm of his works lies in his ability to capture scenes that are bound to our memories of growing up, our trips out of the city to seek tranquillity and the odd old buildings that we simply can’t live without.

Born in Kedah, Choh received his formal art training at the Kuala Lumpur College of Art. An award-winning artist, he has taken part in numerous group exhibitions locally and in China.

A Touch of Life is his fourth solo exhibition to date. It will be held at NN Gallery Sdn Bhd, 53A & 56 Jalan Sulaiman 1, Taman Ampang Hilir in Ampang from July 11 to 31.

For details, call Sharifah Nor Akmar or Syed Nabil at 03-4270-6588 or go to www.nngallery.com.my.