Ping Lian Yeak
*PING LIAN YEAK
Born 1993 – Malaysia
Currently living in Australia
Ping Lian’s unique character of his draughtsmanship and confident
use of colour are mature beyond his years. Over the last four years, his
talent has rapidly attracted local and international interest. His works in charcoal, acrylic, watercolour & ink, oil pastels and oil, show a
signature style that has won over many art enthusiasts and collectors.
Initially, Ping Lian demonstrated poor fine motor control. In order to strengthen and develop Ping Lian’s fine motor skills, his home schooling curriculum included tracing and coloring activities. These activities also served as a way to fill his time since Ping Lian was unable to engage in play activities. Ping Lian also had very poor imitation skills, guiding him tracing and drawing stroke by stroke was one of the ways to develop his imitation skills. Ultimately these activities became a catalyst for discovering his exceptional art talent.
In mid-2002, at the age of 8, Ping Lian seemed to suddenly acquire an obsession with art. The transition from tracing to drawing happened almost instantly. One day after he had finished eating an ice-cream cone, he just started drawing the pictures that were printed on the ice cream wrapper. He has not stopped drawing since then. The quality of his drawing has rapidly advanced and his rate of progress is fascinating. Ping Lian has limited communication and social skills. Art has provided him with an outlet of expression.
Ping Lian’s work, “Ubudiah Mosque I“ which was donated for a Nov 2004 RDA charity auction in aid of the Riding for the Disabled Association, Malaysia sold for RM100,000.00 to an anonymous bidder.
TV Coverage: ~British television documentary by Focus Productions @ New York, Jan 2006 www.focusproductions.co.uk ; “Painting the Mind”, a I hour documentary for Channel 4 (UK), also aired on Four Corners, ABC TV Australia, 23 April 2007, and Scandinavia. Eve’s Diary (TV8 - Malaysia) featured Ping Lian and his solo exhibition at ABWM House in March 2005. Korea Broadcasting System’s 60-minutes Savant Syndrome documentary along side two other notable savants – Kim Peek (real Rain Man) and Kodi Lee - screened in Korea on 17 Sept 2005
Exhibitions
U.S.: ~ An extraordinary international art exhibit - “Windows of Genius: Artwork of the Prodigious Savant”, at the Windhover Center for the Arts, Wisconsin, Sept 2007 ~ “Autistic Savant Artwork: Ping Lian Yeak” - San Diego, CA 2007 ABA Annual Convention ~ “Don’t ‘ dis ‘ the ability “, New York 2006 Art Exhibition Tour, Henry Gregg Gallery, Brooklyn, NY ~ “Don’t ‘ dis ‘ the ability “, at The Great Hall Gallery @ Cooper Union, New York, NY 2006 ~ “HeARTs for Autism” at BOI's of New Hope Art Gallery, New Hope, PA, US, April 2006 ~ “ArtFirst” presented by the Auxiliary of University Medical Center at Princeton, May 06 - “Seeing Beneath and Beyond” at ArtSpoken Gallery & Studios, Austin, Texas, Dec 2006
U.K.: ~ “Autism: Art and Music”, at University of Cambridge, Sept 2006
Australia : ~ Solo exhibition at CCC Art Gallery, Sydney, June 2007 ~ Creative Futures Gala Art Show by Autism Queensland at Brisbane City Hall, Dec 2007
Malaysia: ~ Solo exhibition - "My Journey...Artworks of 14 year Prodigious Savant” at The Art Commune, Jan 2008 Solo exhibition at Suria KLCC Complex held in conjunction with Suria KLCC Kid’s Carnival, May 2005 ~ Solo exhibition at British Women Association Malaysia (ABWM) House, March 2005 & Jan 2007 ~ “Through My Eyes", at Villa Lotus, Sept 2004 ~ Exhibited art works of University of Malaya faculty building at the University of Malaya, Sept 2004 ~ Solo art exhibition held in conjunction with Sujeet Desai’s musical concert, April 2004 ~ “TIMEOUT@Reka”, at Reka Art Space, April 2004 ~ “Different Strokes: Diversity Through Art”, National Art Gallery Malaysia, December 2003 & June 2004
“Let us celebrate and focus on what autistic people can do,
not what they can’t do and not label them as DISABLED”
.....................................................................................Sarah SH Lee
*reprinted with permission
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To view "Don't 'dis' the ability"
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