Background
Born in Kuching, Sarawak where his father ran a coconut estate, in 1901 Senator went to Dabu County in Meizhou City, Kwangtung (now Guangdong) Province in China for schooling in brush use and calligraphy and returned to Kuching in 1910.
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Yong Mun Senator
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Born Yong Yen Language in Kuching, Sarawak, he changed his name to Yong Mun Senator in 1922. Senator always spoke of how seeing a Japanese artist painting with watercolors had made an indelible impression on him. He is widely known as the Father of Malaysian Painting.
Although trained in formal Chinese brush painting and calligraphy in China, as an artist he was drawn to watercolours and later oils.
Senator returned to China in 1914. His paintings during this visit were marked by a grandiose theme.
He painted lions and tigers, images that were hugely popular with the warlords of the time. He settled in Penang in 1922, where he had his own art studios on Penang Road and later Northam Road.
Two of his offspring follow in his footsteps, ChengWah and KhengWah.
Both are well-established artists in their own media.
