Sean Lean's exploration of tradition and culture framed for a modern world

'I’m examining my emotions towards my culture by playing with historical imagery, injecting a sense of levity to a normally serious subject,’ says Sean Lean. Photo: UOB

Five years ago, visual artist Sean Lean explored the confluence of his Chinese heritage and “Western” upbringing in a colourful and insightful exhibition titled Motherland. That previous series was a keen study of identity and culture.

'Tiffany Blue Door (Heroine Of The Yangs, Mu Guiying)' (automotive paint on wooden door with steel frame, 2019). Photo: Wei Ling Gallery

For that solo show in Kuala Lumpur, this full-time artist produced 18 artworks, each depicting a recognisable Chinese character (from a dragon to the Goddess of Mercy).