A design can be viewed as a painting and conversely a painting can be deemed creative design. Undoubtedly both are art. Where they differ lies in the process. A painter produces what he prefers whereas a designer works under a commission.

Tsui Chee Kui Joseph is a painter rather than a designer, but his work has a strong design flavour. When he does life-sketching, he selects particular aspects of the view in front and composes accordingly. Hence his work is the outcome of designing an actual scene.

Tsui also likes to divide objects into perspectives to express varying shades, colouring each deeply or lightly. Further, he uses contrasting tones to heighten the colours. The colour blocks together look like a pattern. The resulting painting is vividly three-dimensional.

Apart from the design characteristic, Tsui’s work also has a touch of traditional Chinese painting because of his skilful manipulation of empty space.

Clearly, Tsui has a unique style and his creativity commands admiration.

YEUNG Chun Tong