YEE I-LANN, 37
BY BEVERLY YONG

Yee I-Lann doesn’t usually make headlines. Sure, she might have had her artwork exhibited in galleries the world over, from Australia to the UK, Indonesia to Germany, but these aren’t achievements that usually capture public attention here.

A big sale, however, does. In May this year, Yee found herself all over the Malaysian papers when her digital art piece, Huminodun was sold for RM117,000 at a Christie’s Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale in Hong Kong. The fetching price gave the piece the unique honour of being the most expensive art work titled in the Kadazandusun language.

Anyone familiar with Yee’s work would know of her love for her home state. In fact, she has donated a full set of the Kinabalu series to the Sabah Art Gallery. It’s no wonder she calls herself a passionate Malaysian and an even more passionate Sabahan who’s looking forward to this year’s 45th Malaysia Day celebrations on 16 September.

Huminodun is the first image of Yee’s three-part Kinabalu. The series looks at the spiritual power of a Kadazandusun woman and her shifting relationship to her land. For those unfamiliar with Kadazandusun mythology, the significance of Huminodun in the Kadazandusun Creation Story is that it shows the very close relationship Kadazandusun women have with their land, especially in padi cultivation. Legend has it that Huminodun’s inner beauty, kindness and wisdom mesmerised anyone who came across her.

Someone must have clearly been mesmerised by Yee’s depiction.

Beverly Yong is the former curator at Valentine Willie Fine Art.