She also noticed that he’d reach for his crayons and paper in frustration whenever he couldn’t get the adults he lived with, to understand what he was saying.
“As an autistic individual, it can be frustrating for him to convey his feelings to those around him. And sending him for art classes was a good way for him to express himself and keep calm,” Chin shared with FMT during a phone interview.
This was indeed true as Lee, now 34, was able to perfect his natural talent for art and grow into an artist of considerable skill.
This year, he bagged second place at the International Young Fine Artist Open Competition, in the oil painting category.
His formal art education began at seven years old when his mother enrolled him in art classes at Eunique Academy for the Gifted, a vocational school for young adults with intellectual disabilities.
There, Lee learnt the foundations of painting as well as various brush stroke techniques. Lee also attended art classes in other schools including one called Global Art.
Hoping to inspire him even more, his mother would often take him to the park or the beach so he could draw anything that caught his fancy there.
On one occasion, the young boy brought his art blocks to the beach so he could sketch the sunrise. To this day, Lee is happiest painting scenes inspired by his time at the beach with his mother.
Besides learning art at various schools when he was younger, Lee also studied under New York artist, Michael Britton, and learned oil painting from Shia Yih Yiing, a lecturer at the Malaysian Institute of Art.
“Lee was the only disabled teen at that time, compared to the other students in his class. But he could follow the lessons as Shia was a dedicated tutor,” Chin said, adding that her son’s enthusiasm for the subject kept him focussed.
“Somehow oil painting stuck with him, and he loves spending time working on his portraits at home,” Chin explained.
In 2015, Lee was selected to participate in Maybank’s Nukilan Jiwaku, a nine-month programme to nurture the artistic talents of persons with special needs. The participants’ finished artworks were displayed at an exhibition at the close of the programme.
From this point on, Lee started chalking up one achievement after another. In 2016, Lee held a solo exhibition at the launch of a child development centre at ParkCity Medical Centre.
The icing on the cake however, has clearly been his second place win this year.
Today, Lee spends most of his time sitting in a quiet corner of the living room, lost in one of his paintings. In his free time, he takes computer classes. He also keeps fit by exercising.
In an effort to market his many beautiful paintings, Lee holds exhibitions of his work at community bazaars. He also sells T-shirts and shoes that he paints himself, bearing designs inspired by his many artworks.
“I’m glad he’s able to use his talents for good. As a parent, it was depressing initially caring for someone with autism. But if you know what your child is inclined to do, then it’s important to help them hone their skills,” Chin said.
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