As a website designer and fellow Chung Cheng High School alumnus, my journey in creating the Yeh Chi Wei Archives website has been a labor of love and a passion for preserving the legacy of a Singaporean pioneer artist. This project holds great significance to me for two primary reasons, which have driven my dedication and commitment to crafting this comprehensive platform.
The first reason that inspired me to embark on this website design venture is the lack of a comprehensive online resource dedicated to Singaporean artists. When researchers or art enthusiasts seek information about artists, they often have to scour the entire internet, piecing together bits of information from various sources. This tedious process is time-consuming and can be quite disheartening, as not many artists receive the recognition they truly deserve due to the scarcity of information available.
Thus, I saw an opportunity to create a one-stop website that would serve as a comprehensive database showcasing the life and works of Yeh Chi Wei, one of Singapore's pioneer artists. By offering all the relevant information, including articles, artwork, and exhibitions, in one centralized location, I aimed to ease the research process for fellow art enthusiasts and researchers alike. My aspiration was that this initiative would pave the way for more such websites to emerge, celebrating the unsung heroes who have significantly shaped Singapore's art scene.
The second reason that fueled my determination to design the Yeh Chi Wei Archives website was my personal connection to the artist. Having visited his exhibition at our alma mater and being captivated by his paintings, I felt a deep admiration for his artistic brilliance. It saddened me that despite his remarkable contributions, there was a dearth of substantial information available about him.
However, fate smiled upon me when I had the opportunity to meet Yeh Chi Wei's son, Yeh Toh Yen, through a fellow alumnus. Inspired by this encounter, I knew I had to take action and create a platform that would not only honor Yeh Chi Wei's legacy but also shed light on his life and works.
In March 2020, Yeh Toh Yen and I decided to launch the Yeh Chi Wei Archives website. Since then, the website has been an ongoing endeavor, continuously updating with new material almost daily. It has been an immersive experience for me, allowing me to delve deeper into the life and artistry of Yeh Chi Wei. As I meticulously scanned his photographs and organized his materials, I gained a profound understanding of his contributions to the Singaporean art scene.
This journey of designing the website has been more than just a showcase of Yeh Chi Wei's life; it has been a tribute to his artistic legacy. It has given me immense satisfaction to create a space where his artistry can be celebrated, appreciated, and cherished by art enthusiasts, researchers, and the wider public.
As the Yeh Chi Wei Archives website continues to grow, my skills as a web designer have also flourished. The process of designing this platform has been a journey of personal growth and professional development, solidifying my passion for web design and my commitment to preserving valuable artistic legacies.
If you're curious to explore Yeh Chi Wei's life and art, I invite you to visit the Yeh Chi Wei Archives website (https://yehchiweiarchives.wixsite.com/home). Your feedback and comments are most welcome, as together, we honor the life and contributions of this remarkable artist.
Late 2014, I have a chance to come back to school to help out scanning yearbooks from 1943 to 2000. Again, I came across Mr. Yeh Chi Wei. From the yearbooks, I got to know Mr. Yeh was an arts teacher and is one of Singapore pioneer artist. Decided to google about him but sad to say, I only found a handful and most of it are brief details of the exhibition of "The Story of Yeh Chi Wei", nothing more. Search the National Library's Newspaper archives, then found there are quite an amount of information about Mr. Yeh's exhibitions. Hence, I was thinking how can I get all his information and compile into one database? Then came a chance in 2019, I was invited by Mr. Teo Lian Kiat, fellow alma mater, sculptor and also an Arts teacher in Chung Cheng High School to a lunch gathering and met Mr. Yeh's son, Yeh Toh Yen. That's how it started.
In Mar 2020, as Mr. Yeh Toh Yen has a vast variety of materials about his father, we decide to launch a website for Mr. Yeh Chi Wei to showcase all his works. Since then, the website has been updating material almost everyday. Till date, most of his information are updated and at this moment, I am scanning his photographs. I will be uploading them according to their content to various pages.
This designing process has help me to understand Mr. Yeh Chi Wei's life more than ever and I am glad I have made the right decision, it also help me to polish my web design skills.
The website is now currently active, Feel free to browse and give comment.
https://yehchiweiarchives.wixsite.com/home