Shalini Ganendra Fine Art is pleased to announce ZAC LEE's startling solo , Conversations in Yellow & Blue. This preeminent Malaysian painter has won both national and international accolades. His previous solo exhibition at SGFA, Truth & Dare (2011) sold out. This show, opening November 15th, promises to further Lee’s reputation as a thoughtful and technically gifted artist, presenting exquisite fusions of photographic accuracy and captivating abstraction to make elegant social commentary.
Lee has developed his work combining the detailed disciplines of traditional Chinese Calligraphy painting styles, with contemporary graphic formats. He was selected for and participated in two important residencies, the Freeman Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center in the US and the Three Shadows Art Center Residency in Beijing, where he was the first Malaysian. His more recent work incorporates realism and photographic detail, but his close attention to and monumental representation of small subjects such as animals, flowers, fruits - combine with his fluid and vibrant use of color to give his work an abstract quality that mesmerizes viewers.
Conversations in Yellow & Blue will feature 8 large (7' x 7') works and represents another significant step in Lee’s artistic career, as he shifts focus to developing broader concepts for shows as a whole. While each painting will be stand alone, the combination of works will create a powerful visual and symbolic experience. Lee credits the evolution of his style and exploration to his pedagogical interaction – as a lecturer and art teacher. His continuing and engaging interaction with students and interest in teaching the larger contexts and concepts underlying art has led him to create this ambitious new series of paintings - presenting a vivid, structured narrative.
As elections in Malaysia draw near, Lee’s exhibition tells of Malaysia’s past, present and future. In this project, he documents underlying tensions in Malaysia’s social and political climate. Using art as an aesthetic political force, he sends a message of suggested reconciliation through interesting perspectives on national symbols – all in Lee’s skilled and elegant style.
