Klang-born Yau is exploring sculptures for the first time, considering it a seamless progression in her artistic journey as her paintings have expanded in size (Photo: Low Yen Yeing/ The Edge Malaysia)
Contemplative, calm and gifted with the ability to creatively connect nature with the complexities of personal challenges, celebrated Malaysian artist Yau Bee Ling lays bare her artistic soul through works that are deep and meaningful. No holds barred. Matching her courage, she treats the canvas as a battleground of emotions, spiritual introspection, ideologies and the profound facets of human experience.
She returns with her seventh solo at Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, and through six large-scale canvas paintings and a selection of sculptural pieces in Redefining Resilience: Embracing the Battleground Within and Beyond, examines the ageing process through a child’s lens. “I can’t credit any particular moment of inspiration but it’s a process that takes place continuously. It happens when I have feelings and issues that need to be resolved or when I need to make peace with myself. And then, it also resonates with the outer landscape like the mountains or sea, which are vessels to carry my inner emotional state of mind,” she says.
Klang-born Yau is exploring sculptures for the first time, considering it a seamless progression in her artistic journey as her paintings have expanded in size. “I found the transition from canvas to sculpture a fascinating evolution. Painting became a process of healing, comparable to tending to physical wounds.”
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As the paintings grew in size, she delved into the 3D realm to reflect her inner landscape and emotions. “This polarity between the inner and outer manifested in a textured, relief-like form. Ageing and life experiences influenced the colours and details, mirroring the gradual decay and dissolution of the physical self. The transition to 3D sculpting became a profound continuation of this exploration to seek clarity and overcome physical challenges.”
Her career in the past decade is marked by exploration of natural elements such as trees, valleys, caves, stalactites and canyons. “I embarked on this journey of exploring natural elements when I experienced the loss of family members at different stages of my life. Witnessing their dissolution led me to question the existence of the body, the seduction of the flesh and its denial. In a spiritual context, I pondered how you gain spiritual transcendence.”
When Yau painted A cavernous city on motion, she explored the tragedy of losing her sister six years ago while her brother-in-law and their kids still find it hard to come to terms with. “The family remains trapped in their own emotional cage. The painting conveys the multi-layered emotions tied to our perception of reality, the misrepresentation that is sometimes seen as truth and the motions of time continuing in their relentless march.
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“It beckons the question: Did resilience breed clarity or delusion? Within this expansive city, inhabitants find themselves contemplating their existence. It’s a plea to break free from the figurative cave of misinformation and embrace self-reflection to foster genuine understanding,” she adds pensively.
The ships that pass in the night is another outstanding piece in this exhibition. “It is inspired by [Henry Wadsworth] Longfellow’s The Theologian’s Tale and I explored the encounter between two ordinary individuals, just like two ships briefly meeting in a moment of intense connection before sailing into the obscurity of the night. In the poem The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago and Manolin’s friendship represents a reliance on each other during brief yet impactful moments.”
In this poignant visual expression, Yau once again showcases a profound engagement with her subjects that extends far beyond the painted canvas and sculpted forms. Her works serve as a cathartic journey, an intimate exploration of personal growth and a platform for contemplation.
'Redefining Resilience: Embracing the Battleground Within and Beyond' is on until Dec 30 at Wei-Ling Gallery, 8 Jalan Scott, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. By appointment only.
This article first appeared on Dec 11, 2023 in The Edge Malaysia.
