LOT 54
YONG MUN SEN
B. Sarawak, 1896 – 1962
Chinese Junk, 1950
Signed “Mun Sen 1950” on lower left
Watercolour on paper
39 x 28 cm
Private Collection, UK
RM 5,500 – RM 11,000
Born in 1896 in Sarawak, Yong’s forte and heart were landscapes in watercolour. With Western impressionism, complemented by Chinese calligraphy aesthetics, Yong garnered aficionados from the US, Australia and the UK. When Yong came across a scene that spoke to his soul, he would swiftly set up his easel and camp stool, equipped with a brush in hand to relay it on the canvas. Yong’s identification of his subjects’ struggles, including fishermen in seaside villages, farmers in paddy fields and labourers in plantations took centre stage. His conveyance grants viewers with an immaculate escape, a breath of fresh air or to remind people to break away from the bustling life. It is also evident in his landscape paintings that Yong did not depict the details that made up a landscape, rather, through watercolour, he illustrated fluidity and a carefree rhythm.