Biography

Yong Mun Sen, 楊曼生 (1896-1962) is one of the most iconic Nanyang artists of the 20th century. He was an important figure in Southeast Asia, as an artist and art educator in Malaysia and Singapore. Recognised as leading the growth of modern Malayan and Malaysian art, he has been widely hailed as the "Father of Malaysian Art". 

Yong Mun Sen was born in Kuching Sarawak at a coconut plantation. A third generation Malayan of Hakka descent, he was sent at a tender age of five to Dabu (大埔) in Guangdong province where he received traditional Chinese education including the use of Chinese brush in calligraphy. His inspiration into water-colour was by chance, watching a Japanese artist in action at his family's plantation. Although he could have settled for a life of comfort as a wealthy planter, he chose the calling of art at a time when the art ecosystem was not developed. A self-taught artist, Mun Sen loved nature in all of its moods. Nature became both his teacher and his model. To further his career, Mun Sen left for Singapore in 1918 where he was exposed to other artists and the art world. After two vibrant years there, he was transferred to Penang where he fell in love with the idyllic tropical island. Its natural beauty was an inspiration to many of his works. He lived in Penang Island until the end of his life.

 

Mun Sen captured scenes of everyday Malaya and found beauty in painting the ordinary life. Mun Sen’s Nanyang style of painting can be described as using distinct Chinese brushwork with western medium of watercolour and oil, and bringing out the elegance of day-to-day activities and subject matters in the Nanyang. What sets him apart from other Chinese artists is the fact that he was born in the Nanyang. Many Chinese artists coming from China were observers with a curiosity of the Nanyang and the tropical paradise. To the contrary, Mun Sen was a creature of the Nanyang and painting was a way for him to discover himself and his environment. What is also distinctive about Mun Sen’s style is what we call painting in the fourth dimension, that is beyond the borders of the painting. His paintings would draw you into his world. After which your mind would wander beyond the borders of the artwork and your own imagination takes over. There is a unique liveliness to his works. Looking at the works, you can feel coconut trees swaying in the warm ocean breeze. You can hear villagers laughing and frolicking. You can feel the hard labour of farmers toiling the land under the strong glare of the Nanyang sun. You can feel the joy of fishermen hauling in the catch after a day out at sea. 

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As an early pioneer, Mun Sen drove the development of fine arts in the Nanyang. In addition to being the President of the Penang Chinese Art Club and Vice-President of the Singapore Society of Chinese Artists (SOCA), he was also the progenitor of Singapore's Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts which established in 1938. This was a time when many Chinese intellectuals fled to Singapore and Malaya due to the Sino-Japanese War. The great Chinese artist Xu Beihong, 徐悲鸿, befriended Mun Sen in Penang. Together they raised funds for the government and people in China. Xu Beihong claimed Mun Sen’s water-colour paintings as amongst the best in the world. Mun Sen also produced some highly accomplished oil paintings with influence by Paul Gaugin and Vincent van Gogh.

 

This website is developed by Mun Sen’s grandson Michael Yong-Haron 楊焜善 (觀山) and wife Saniza Othman. The couple has spent over two decades buying back some of the most important works from around the world. The collection is recognised as the complete oeuvre of Mun Sen's forte, depicting his gift in capturing seascapes, landscapes, cityscapes, village life, human figurines and photo-realistic portraits. This website features long-running research of the artist and his practice, a visual narrative of his explorations in watercolour, oil, ink, and photography that collectively defines Yong Mun Sen’s journey and his vision of the Nanyang. 

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