083

EXHIBITED
Kuala Lumpur, Art Salon @ SENI, The Art of Lee Long Looi, 23 October - 3 December 2010, illustrated in catalogue p. 10.
LITERATURE
Dato’ Dr Tan Chee Khuan, Voices From My Art Spirit: The Art of Lee Long Looi, The Art Gallery, Penang, 2010, illustrated p. 170.

Lee Long Looi’s figures, like many artists in Kedah then, seem to carry an influence by Cheong Soo Pieng, though he was not taught by Soo Pieng during his time at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. His major influences then were Georgette Chen and Lai Foong Mooi.

The mother-and-child theme is one of the artist’s favourite, as it resonates with his art of dealing with the intimate moments of domestic life. Although there is no identification of ethnicity, the ambience, especially with the wall hangings with tribal-like designs, suggests that he may be drawing inspirations from a local tribal community, perhaps one in East Malaysia. The artist is currently based in Miami and New Jersey in the United States.