Category talk:Singaporean ink painters

Singaporean ink painters as independent category

Hi Jack, thanks for putting Category:Singaporean ink painters under Category:Singaporean painters. I had created the ink painter category to seperate the painters who professes in Chinese or Muslim painting techniques which uses ink as their primary medium, from the painters using primarily Western mediums - hence the Category: Singaporean painters. It would be wrong to categorise ink painters under the Singaporean painters category, and I believe other comments about this categorization, from other users will follow when this Singaporean artists category becomes more and more developed, and receiving more readership awareness.

So i'm hoping you'd change the Singaporean ink painter category to its original main category, instead of being a subcategory. Thanks -- Marcuslim (talk) 04:34, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

I see. Your suggested differentiation between Category:Singaporean ink painters and Category:Singaporean painters is not obvious to other editors. If you believe that the new category is going to grow substantially, I think it needs to be renamed to something like "Category:Singaporean ink painters using Chinese and Muslim painting techniques". However, personally think that there's not much point drawing a distinction between artists who paint using ink in Chinese and Muslim styles, and those who paint in the same medium using other styles; it seems like an overly narrow category. I would suggest not renaming the new category but widening its remit to include Singaporean ink painters who use other painting techniques (e.g., Western?). Also, I would leave Category:Singaporean ink painters as a subcategory of Category:Singaporean painters because ink painting seems a natural subtopic of painting in general. This issue may require input from other editors to gain a consensus. I've copied this discussion over to Category talk:Singaporean ink painters, and would suggest that you raise the issue at Talk:SGpedians' notice board and perhaps the talk page of a relevant art WikiProject, inviting them over to the category talk page to express their views. — Cheers, JackLee ^–talk– 09:50, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for your feedback.For long-term benefits to Wikipedia, i created the Category:Singaporean ink painters for the benefit of other people to become more interested in our own local talents.
With regards to matters on categorising genres, I must say there is a difference of opinions between us, and perhaps with the way Wikipedia categorises subjects. Both Chinese ink painters in Singapore, and Singaporean painters using western art techniques have a substantial population size and are independent. There are also ink painters who are from the Malay art societies like APAD, and of course those who profess in Batik ink printing technique. So I believe it is a good move to distinct artists in this two general categories.
To place the ink painters under the Category:Singaporean painters leads to misunderstanding that ink painters fall under the western art painters. In my opinion, the pride of Chinese painters will be hurt eventually, when more people visit our articles and realise they 'come under western art painters from Singapore', suggesting they are beneath them. This will also hurt the credibility of contributors on Wikipedia, and at the same time, will eventually cost more work for contributors to make amendments in future - given that there will be substantial number of articles under the category by then.

I do agree with Jacklee the differentiation is not obvious to other editors. There is a need to find better ways to describe these two groups of people in our listings. I'd like other contributors to suggest how we can better cater for people from both categories, like in your suggestion for. Category:Singaporean ink painters using Chinese and Muslim painting techniques. --- Marcuslim (talk) 02:38, 30 June 2008 (UTC)