Artist Biography

余东灯是马来西亚前辈艺术家及美术教育工作者，生于1935年霹雳州，艺术造诣颇深，广泛涉猎油画、水彩、中国水墨、素描、文学创作等等。他的艺术生涯可以追溯到上世纪50年代。1954年至1957年期间，他就跟随著名英国美术教育家彼得·哈利斯学习西画，是大名鼎鼎的“星期三画组”成员之一，其他成员还有Syed Ahmad Jamal、Jolly Koh等人。之后，好学的天性使他不断探索绘画领域，后来又自修水墨画、书法以及美术设计，丰富了自己的艺术技能。

1961年，他荣获国家语文局壁画比赛安慰奖。1962年，获得国家室内体育馆（Stadium Negara）壁画奖，与画家潘宝鸿一起得到为国家体育馆创作壁画的殊荣。同年，他亦赢得美孚油公司主办画展水彩组第一名（金牌奖）。1981年，余东灯在集珍庄画廊举办首次个展，作品涵盖水墨、水彩、雕塑等。1988年开始专研草书，作品常常参与各地义展。

余东灯曾担任中小学美术和华文教师，广告公司设计员，乃至马来西亚艺术学院（MIA）和博雅艺术中心之讲师，积累了丰富的教学和创作经验。此外，他还多次担任绘画和书法评审员，为新一代艺术家的成长提供了引导和支持。2015年，为庆祝其80年诞辰，东方人文艺术馆举办了“余东灯书画展--80回顾“，为其在本地艺坛的卓越贡献致敬。其作品被政府机构如国家银行及马来西亚理科大学收藏。

Yee Chin Ming was a veteran artist and art educator who acquired great achievements in various art fields, including oil painting, watercolour, ink painting and calligraphy, sketches and even poetry. His artistic career dates back as early as the 1950s. From 1954 to 1957, he learnt Western art under the well-known British art superintendent Peter Harris and was a member of the famous "Wednesday Painting Group". Other members included Syed Ahmad Jamal and Jolly Koh. Later, he continuously explored the field of painting and developed skills in other areas including ink painting, calligraphy and art design through self-taught. In 1961, he won the consolation prize in the Dewan Pustaka Mural Competition. In 1962, he attained the Stadium Negara Mural Award, and together with artist Phoon Poh Hoong, they were commissioned to paint the mural for the stadium. In the same year, he also won gold prize in the watercolour category at an art competition organised by Mobil Oil Company.

Yee held his first solo exhibition at the Art House Gallery in 1981, showcasing ink paintings, watercolours, sculptures and more. In 1988, he began to study cursive calligraphy, while his works were often seen in various charity exhibitions. Yee served as an art teacher in multiple primary and secondary schools, a designer in an advertising company, and lecturer at the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) and the Top-Art School of Art. In 2015, to celebrate his 80th birthday, the Oriental Art and Cultural Center held the "Yee Chin Ming's 80 Review Solo Exhibition" to recognize his outstanding achievements in artistic creation and art education. His works are in the public collection of Bank Negara and Universiti Sains Malaysia.