In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Crossing cultures and trans era. This phrase perfectly encapsulates the entire journey and struggle of our national artist, Dr Choong Kam Kow, and his position in the historical development of Malaysian art. A highly recognised and respected figure, he has formed his own unique artistic style by fusing Eastern and Western elements in his art-making. Throughout his journey in the world of art, he has been adopting an open mind. This has led him to develop a strict self-discipline, thus enabling him to effectively engage a variety of techniques and create many interesting and innovative works. His active involvement in art for more than 57 years has made him one of the important senior artists, and he has built a redoubtable reputation in both local and international art scenes. He is highly acclaimed for his eminent experience and vast contribution in the field of education as he has taught at several early and prominent fine art learning institutions in the country. He too has played vital role in nurturing many of today’s leading artists in Malaysian art industry. He is also involved in the formation of the Asian International Art Exhibition (AIAE), a platform instrumental in introducing and promoting local artists to the international art circuit. The realisation of this Choong Kam Kow Retrospective indicates the recognition and appreciation of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, through the National Visual Arts Gallery, for his significant contribution to the nation in the field of fine art. A total of 268 paintings culled from 15 series of works he has produced thus far throughout his career are presented in this show. Additionally, a special documentation about the artist is also featured here. We are indeed very proud of Dr Choong Kam Kow’s outstanding achievement and endeavour. As such, to celebrate him and his art at this juncture is undoubtedly both timely and warranted. We hope his commitment and success will serve as an aspiration for future generation artists. Congratulations to the curatorial team, the staff of NVAG, guest writers - who are mostly his former students and everyone directly involved in organising this retrospective. It is our hope that this show will be of great benefit and value to everybody, and most importantly, can serve as one of the permanent springboards to bring art closer to the society. YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz Minister Of Tourism And Culture Malaysia (Original printed in "CHOONG KAM KOW RETROSPECTIVE - Cross Culture • Trans Era",  National Visual Arts Gallery, Malaysia 2014)