theFklub: F1 : Kow Leong Kiang

Shia Yih Yiing

Hailing from Kuching, Sarawak, Shia Yih Yiing’s career as a visual artist has seen her works travel as far as Bangladesh, Japan, Czech Republic, and Taiwan alongside her many exhibitions in Malaysia. She studied at the Malaysian Institute of Art and also holds a Masters in Fine Art from the University of Western Sydney. The artist has 6 solo exhibitions to her name, and her works have delved into themes like femininity and motherhood, often imbued with a sense of playfulness and metaphor. Her most recent was ‘Petal World: Blooming Pages’, which was held at Shalini Ganendra Fine Art, Petaling Jaya. Shia has numerous awards to her name. She was once recipient of the Commonwealth Foundation fellowship in Art & Craft, and in 2007, she was Alternate Artist for the Vermont Studio Center’s Freeman Fellowship. Her art has been collected by key institutions such as the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, PETRONAS, and they can also be found in major private collections.

Kow Leong Kiang

Kow Leong Kiang graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991, and has attracted much attention and success since winning the Grand Prize at the Phillip Morris ASEAN Art Award in 1998. The artist is best known for his figurative works and feather-light rendering. His works have been shown in China, Vietnam, and the UK, and the artist’s career has also seen him embark on residencies with VWFA and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, as well as the Vermont Studio Centre in the USA as part of the 11th Annual Freeman Foundation Asian Artists’ Fellowship Program. To date, Kow has held multiple solo exhibitions, notably ‘To The Sea’ at Ernst & Young, Singapore (2012), ‘Soft’ at Jogja Contemporary and Sangkring Art Space, Yogyakarta (2011),‘Jogja Constellation’ at Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta (2009), ‘Other People’ at VWFA KL (2007), 'Silent Conversation’ at VWFA KL (2005), ‘Human’at Red Mill Gallery ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Vermont, USA, and ‘Floating World’ at VWFA KL (2003).

Bayu Utomo Radjikin

Bayu Utomo Radjikin is a native of Tawau, Sabah, and a graduate of Universiti Teknologi MARA. He has been participating in exhibitions since the late 1980’s and is one of the country’s leading figurative artists. Early successes in his career include the Major Award at the 1991 Young Contemporaries Award and Honourable Mentions at the 1994 and 1995 Philip Morris Art Awards. The artist has exhibited widely, including in countries like the USA, Indonesia, UK, Austria, and India. In 2011, the artist held his eighth solo exhibition to date, ‘Cintakasih’. Bayu is also known as a member of MATAHATI, Malaysia’s longest running art collective. And aside from his artistic practice, Bayu wears the hat of an arts administrator, helming HOM, an independent art space founded in 2007. Based in Ampang, Bayu oversees HOM’s day-to-day affairs and manages its multiple programmes spanning artist-residencies, competitions, and exhibitions.

Chin Kong Yee

Chin Kong Yee studied at the Central Academy of Art in Kuala Lumpur, graduating in 1990. He has held five solo exhibitions to date, including 2003’s ‘Undulating Spaces’, 2005’s ‘Cerulean Skies’, and ‘SOS Château de Trémazan’ at Maison des Canons in France. This year, he will hold his sixth solo exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. The artist’s exhibition credentials extend back to 2000, and Chin has participated in a number of residencies in Romania and in Malaysia. In 2000, he received an Honourable Mention from the Philip Morris Group of Companies’ ASEAN Art Awards. His works are in key public and private collections such as the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, United Overseas Bank, HSBC Bank Malaysia, Cluj-Napoca Art Museum in Romania, and The Aliya & Farouk Khan Collection. The artist lives and works in Kuala Lumpur.

Marvin Chan

A native of Kuala Lumpur, Marvin Chan, has a fifteen-year background in advertising with a number of professional awards to his name, including ‘The New York Festivals’, ‘Times-Asia Pacific’, ‘London Advertising Awards’, and ‘Cannes’ finalist one. Chan has since transitioned to becoming a painter, whose primary subject is the human figure. He adopts the strategy of realism in his art, embedding sociopolitical themes, or, questioning contemporary existence using the minimum of motifs in his work. He has been participating in exhibitions in Kuala Lumpur since 2005, exhibited at the Seoul International Art Exhibition (2005), was a finalist in the 2008 Arteingenua Spa, Italy, and has been a resident artist at the Vermont Studio Center. Most recently, he embarked on a collaboration with fellow artist Izan Tahir, and together, they exhibit as an entity called IM.

Gan Chin Lee

Gan Chin Lee graduated with a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China. Prior to that, he received a diploma in Illustration from The One Academy of Communication Design in 1998. Gan has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, China, and Taiwan, such as ‘The Energy Trap’ at Valentine Willie Fine Art and the 14th Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition in Tai Chung City, Taiwan. In 2009, he bagged the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award, and one year later, he emerged as a finalist at the Starhill Gallery Visual Art Awards. In November 2011, Gan held his first solo exhibition titled ‘Soliloquy’. Held at Valentine Willie Fine Art, the artist employed a theatrical element to present visual scenes of angst, longing, and frustration over the Malaysian condition. The artist lives and works in Kuala Lumpur.

Chong Ai Lei

A native of the state of Johor, Chong Ai Lei gained her Diploma in Fine Art from Dasein Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur in 2005. She has focused on the figure since the beginning of her career and has carved a name for herself with her pastel-coloured, dreamy portraits of young women. Chong has been participating actively in local group exhibitions since the completion of her formal art education. In 2010 and 2011, she received Honourable Mentions from the Freeman Foundation Asian Artists Program, Vermont Studio Centre, USA. In 2012, Chong emerged as one of the main winners in the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award. The artist currently lives and works in Kuala Lumpur.