Research on Artist

Lee Kian Seng is a full time visual artist since 1966. He has born in China in 1948, but his nationality is Malaysian. He majors in sculpture, painting, 3D installations and print making.

His submission entitled “Joy of Living”(oil) won the 3rd Prize in Category B of a 1964 competition organized by the Art Council of Malaysia when he was 16. This was followed by a string of national art awards from 1966 through the major national exhibitions in Malaysia in the 70s.

At the age of 18 (1966), the Art Council of Malaysia presented his first Solo exhibition( paintings) to critical acclaim.

In 1969, the then 21-year-old Lee participated in the Malaysia Art Exhibition held in Australia , New Zealand , the Indian Triennale and the 10th Sao Paulo Biennale of Contemporary World Art in Brazil . He also exhibited his 3-D installation “Unity 1969” at the World Exposition 1970 in Osaka where he was appointed as an Artist of the Malaysian Pavilion.

He has held 22 one-person exhibits since 1966 and been part of many joint exhibitions , winning many awards along the way. His exhibitions “Chronicles Part 1” in 1995” and “Toward the New Millennium”1998 (3-D works) were well received at home and internationally. His growth runs simultaneous with almost every crucial stage in the chronology of Malaysian art history. (July 30, 1995 Sunday Star Malaysia）

LEE Kian Seng has been one of the most consistent, productive and dedicated artists in the Malaysian art scene over the past 40 years and is also known as the father of Installation Art in Malaysia.

His other principle research area is “Comparative studies in dyeing art”, covering technical aspects of lithography, dye and resist technique, etching, and silkscreen. His explorations and innovations in the dye and resist technique/batik medium in modern art expressions won him a Tokyo Creation Award (Overseas Prize) in 1993.

Kian Seng’s works represented Malaysia at numerous international events including the Third ASEAN Square Sculpture Symposium in Indonesia in 1984, where he created “Peace, Harmony and One” which is in the Permanent collection of the Government of Jakarta, Indonesia.

He has 14 works ( produced from 1964 to 1979 only ) in the Permanent collection of the National Art Gallery Malaysia. His works are noted for innovative creativity, aesthetic sensitivity and intellectual content.

He has also written about art occasionally in two major Chinese Daily in Malaysia since 2006.



ref : http://www.leekianseng.com

National Art Gallery : The Visit

We had a visit to the National Gallery as part of the class activity last week and for me, it was the second visit with my lecturer, Mdm Forest. We had another visit together on 2009/2010 session for FYP class. Back then, it was sort of like an inspirational visit. Now it's for an assignment for New Media Technology class.

There was nothing much that attracted me in gallery, until I found this one installation by Lee Kian Seng, The Process of Poker Game.


Didn't have the chance to snap more from different angle because I was stopped by the guards there.

What interest me is that someone from our country back in the 1970s had already challenged art in 3D installations.

This conceptual art gives me the thought of having myself in a gambling casino. I know this sounds weird but in fact it was how I picture it. It shows that how 3D installation could also be part of an art, by putting the piece together and the arrangement into something that worth to catch someone's attention, especially mine.

"Even before the term "installation" became vogue, Lee Kian Seng was already and consistently challenging perceptions, paraphernalia and parameters of art in the 1970s like his 1975 winning effort, "Process in Poker Game". His career path since then has been marked by works that are the most avant garde and conceptually extraordinary imaginable."