“Eye Contact”, is defined as two living creatures looking at each other’s eyes at the same time. To humans, eye contact is thought to have a large influence on social behaviour. Some believe that “Eyes are windows to the soul”. What do we see when we gaze into the eyes of another person? Eyes can convey a wide range of feelings, and it is a form of nonverbal communication. Nonetheless, having little or no eye contact is one of the commonly seen characteristics found on the autism spectrum. However, eye-tracking measures developed by the group demonstrate that autism children do not avoid eye contact on purpose; instead, they might find it stressful, and they miss the significance of social information in others’ eyes. This painting aims to deliver the importance and social significance of eye contact, as well to introduce eye-tracking measures to autism children as early as possible. Did you have your eye contact with the eyes inside the painting? Chong conveys his encounter with mother nature and human nature through the interpretation of his own feelings of lyrical abstraction.
Ben Chong is a contemporary artist based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, whose interests span across advertising, interior design, and fine arts painting. As a graduate from Malaysia Institute of Arts; he has participated in numerous open and group art exhibitions in Malaysia and abroad; his inspiration derives from mother nature and human nature. His works have been collected by the Museum of Korea as well as important private collectors from Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.