The fat lady swings

IN this figure-conscious world where one is constantly dieting to shed those few extra kilos, obese women are often frowned upon or even shunned at by society. Yet artist Ngan Ting has chosen to glorify such people. 'To be fat in America means being treated as a 'deviant' from the social standard of beauty, and being automatically thought of as clumsy and unintelligent,' said the 32-year-old Hong Kong oil painter.

Ms Ting's first exhibition on obesity in Hong Kong was in 1993 at the Fringe Club. And then in February this year she put on a solo exhibition titled Obese Goddess II at the Plaza Gallery, Binghampton City Hall, in the state of New York. This show caused quite a sensation and resulted in a formal panel discussion at the Broome County Arts Council, Binghampton, on the subject 'Cultural Views of Obesity, led by local distinguished dieticians, anthropologists and psychologists.

Ms Ting's second exhibition in the territory opens tomorrow. Here again, her theme is the beautiful roundness of the female form. 'I've always liked to paint but there was never any time. It wasn't until 1989 when I went with my husband to New York that I've had more time to pursue my interest. Before I had no formal training whatsoever,' said Ms Ting.

While her husband was doing his PhD in sociology, Ms Ting took painting courses for two years, then rented a studio to draw. 'Before, when I took classes, there was always a model for me to draw, but it was in the studio where I really learnt to create and began to think of what I wanted to paint,' Ms Ting said.

In Binghampton she was most impressed by the sight of so many obese women weighing over 100kg. 'One of my neighbours was an obese woman. I found her roundness and the warm glow of her skin under the sun captivating. And her volume gave me an overwhelming sense of strength. That's when I began to get interested in fat women,' she said.

Ms Ting, who only weighs around 50kg feels obesity is beautiful but it conveys a sense of insecurity, low self-confidence and discrimination. 'As art objects, obese women are very interesting. I am able to dig out many things to express in my paintings - like their round, warm and powerful bodies. They're like mother figures. My mother was fat, but not obese. When I see obese women, they make me feel at home,' Ms Ting said.