LOT 56
YONG MUN SEN
B. Sarawak, 1896 – 1962
Resting, 1947
Signed and dated “Mun Sen 47” on lower left
Watercolour on paper
26 x 37 cm
Provenance Private Collection Singapore
Illustrated in the soon to be published “777, Celebrating 7 Illustrious Years at KLAS” coffee table book published by KLAS in February 2019
RM 8,000 – RM 12,000
The late Yong Mun Sen, born on Jan 10, 1896 was one of Malaysia’s pioneer artists. The country’s art scene wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for his contributions.
One day, Mun Sen witnessed a Japanese artist painting using watercolours and thenceforth, he became enamoured with that medium. In 1914, Mun Sen went back to China and painted majestic pictures of lions and tigers which were much loved by the warlords of the time. After the passing of his wife in 1941, he did frolic into oil and Chinese traditional brush painting with success, eventually he steered back to the watercolour medium, in which he excelled. One can observe that his works assimilated the Chinese artistic spirit. It is also evident in his landscape paintings that Mun Sen did not depict the details that made up a landscape, rather, through watercolour, he illustrated fluidity and a carefree rhythm.