Despite his admiration for these stately creatures, Ah Cheng confesses he is no avid horseman. But a sense of inspiration overcomes him every time he looks at them. Also, being an expressionist painter who primarily uses brush- strokes to express himself, horses seem to fit the bill with their fluid movement and winsome aura. He shares, “Horses appeal to me because of their strength and beauty, their speed and movement. They have been a longstanding subject in Chinese painting, and I’ve had many years of traditional Chinese ink training, whereby brushstrokes can express galloping horses and a lot of movement.” As to why he favours oil paint to other mediums, he explains, “The texture of oil paint is brilliant: it can show off the layers of colours and richness of texture. Depth and perspective can be reached easily when I master it. It also can be laid on top of water-based paint mediums to create a combination of mixed media harmoniously.”