[In-Person] Friday, April 21st, 2023

Registration 6:15pm

Opening Remarks 6:30pm

Book Sharing 6:35pm

Q&A 7:30pm

End 8:00pm

The story of Chinese merchants and émigré artmakers is often written to mark the early 20th century, when migration patterns became increasingly visible especially following the colonial establishments in the Straits Settlements. The Chinese however, had been intensively sojourning from the mainland to Nanyang since the 18th century, solidifying trade and economic opportunities evolved over several hundred years.

Yong Mun Sen was born in Kuching, Sarawak, in the time of the British Raj. His forefathers had established themselves in this region for two successive generations. His place in Nanyang brings to life the story of indigenous settlers who were afforded an opportunity to visibly define Chinese culture and Chinese identity at the turn of the century.

As a self-taught artist who worked several jobs in a bookshop, selling art supplies as well as running his own photography and art studio, Mun Sen is a significant figure sometimes obscured by brief mentions in the larger historical discourse of Nanyang Chinese as well as art history in Malaya and the region. Everyone knows of Yong Mun Sen, and everyone has at one point or other seen his watercolour paintings.

This publication brings together an unprecedented range of artworks from national and private collections to illustrate the artistic depth hitherto little known. Accompanying the images are essays from researchers, individuals and writers whose perspectives allow us to sharpen our insight on why Yong Mun Sen is seminal to our generation.

This book dialogue will open avenues to rationalising artmaking in Nanyang as not only a cultural imperative but a cultural catalyst. Through this, we can begin to appreciate not just history, but the aesthetic premise that proliferates the region, highlighting our capacity for beauty and truth as reflected in the spirit of the times gone by, and the times to come.