profile

Yee I-Lann (born 1971, Sabah) straddles the South China Sea between her hometown in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur, West Malaysia as an artist and a production designer for feature films. I-Lann received her BA in Visual Arts from the University of South Australia, Adelaide in 1992 majoring in photography and cinematography. Incorporating various media including photography, film and installation, her practice seeks lattices between history, landscape, memory and cultural identity. Her visual vocabulary is extensive—drawn from historical references, popular culture, urban landscapes, archives and everyday objects.

I-Lann has exhibited widely. She has taken part in the Third Asia-Pacific Triennial at the Queensland Art Gallery, Contemporary Commonwealth exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, 'Independence Project' and 'Out of the Mould' at Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, 'Thermocline of Art: New Asian Waves' at ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art, Germany, 'New Nature' at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Zealand and was invited to speak about her practice under the 'Global Photography Now' seminar at the Tate Modern, London.

I-Lann’s recent feature films as production designer are ‘Karaoke’ (2009) directed by Chris Chong Chan Fui for Tanjung Aru Pictures, ‘Senandong Malam’ (2008) directed by Dain Said and Al-Jafree Yusop for Trinini Productions and 'Rain Dogs' (2006) directed by Ho Yuhang for Focus First Cuts. ‘Karaoke’ will be screened as part of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight and is a contender for the Camera d’Or prize.

news

‘Karaoke’ (2009) a feature film directed by Chris Chong Chan Fui and production designed by Yee I-Lann for Tanjung Aru Pictures, will be screened as part of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight and is a contender for the Camera d’Or prize.

In 2008, her 'Kinabalu Series: Huminodun' reached the hammer price of HKD $295.500 (RM117,000) at Christie's Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art auction in Hong Kong.

In 2006, Yee I-Lann was invited to speak and present her work at London's Tate Modern at the Global Photography Now seminar.

In 2006, Yee I-Lann’s Sulu Stories ends its tour with the Goethe Institut’s whirlwind Art Connexions exhibition at ifA, Berlin, this September, but it has been invited, along with her Malaysiana series, to the Noordelicht 2006 Photofestival in Germany, and to Singapore Biennale, both in September.

exhibition links

 

2009	Malaysian photographer showcase: Tokyo Month of Photography Kodak Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2009	Paradise is Elsewhere Ifa Gallery: Stuttgart and Berlin, Germany
2009	South East B(l)ooming Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy
2009	CUT09: Figure (New Photography from Southeast Asia) VWFA Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila
2008	Kinabalu Series Borneo Research Council 9th Biennial International Conference, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
2008	Kinabalu Series Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide, Australia
2008	Sulu Stories series Kathmandu Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2008	Headlights 2008 Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2007	Independence Project Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur and 2008 - Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne, Australia
2007	Out of the Mould Galeri Petronas, Malaysia
2007	New Nature Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Palmerston North, New Zealand
2007	Thermocline of Art New Asian Waves  ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art, Karlsruhe, Germany
2007	Between Generations University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2007	Selamat Datang Ke Malaysia 4A Gallery, Sydney, Australia, Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2007	Malaysiana Installation Asia House, London, United Kingdom
2007	C Magazine Issue # 4 Publication, Ivory Press, United Kingdom
2006	Global Photography Now Seminar – Speaker, Tate Modern, London, United Kingdom [_]
2006	Singapore Biennale 2006 City Hall, Singapore
2006	Another Asia: photographs from South and Southeast Asia Noorderlicht photofestival 2006, Leewarden, Holland
2006	Art ConneXions a Goethe Institute project Museum Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Fine Art Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam Ifa Gallery, Stuttgart, German Ifa Gallery, Berlin Germany Art Pavilion, Manila, Philippines Australian Center for Photography, Sydney, Australia RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2006	Contemporary Commonwealth, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne [  ]
2005	You Are Here, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur [PLS FIND LINK IN CURRENT SITE]
2004 -2006	Common Ground a British Council project Sharjah Museum, United Arab Emirates  [_] (2006), National Art Gallery, Kuala Lympur (2004)
2004 -2006	Art ConneXions traveling exhibition, a Goethe Institute project, Art Pavilion, Manila, Philippines, Australian Center for Photography, Sydney, Hanoi, Stuttgart, Berlin [  ]
2002	Matching Patterns' rooftop linoleum installation, curated by Valentine Willie Opening exhibition for Singapore Esplanade Entertainment Centre launch, Singapore
2000	Yee I-Lann & Yusof Majid: goldfish & football , Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur [mini-site available from our old site]
	FOR AVAILABLE PRINT PUBLICATIONS ON THIS ARTIST’S WORK, PLEASE VISIT OUR RESOURCE ROOM [LINK]

biography

Born, 1971, Sabah, Malaysia
EDUCATION
2003	Australian Film Television & Radio School (Sydney, Australia), Art Direction Short Course Certificate
1993	Central St Martin Schools of Arts (London, United Kingdom), Painting Certificate
1992	University of South Australia (Adelaide, Australia), Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts)
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2009	Malaysian photographer showcase: Tokyo Month of Photography Kodak Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
	Paradise is Elsewhere Ifa Gallery: Stuttgart and Berlin, German
	South East B(l)ooming Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy
	CUT09: Figure (New Photography from Southeast Asia) VWFA Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila
2008	Kinabalu Series Borneo Research Council 9th Biennial International Conference, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
	Kinabalu Series Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide, Australia
	Sulu Stories series Kathmandu Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
	Headlights 2008 Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2007	Independence Project Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur and 2008 - Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne, Australia
	Out of the Mould Galeri Petronas, Malaysia
	New Nature Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Palmerston North, New Zealand
	Thermocline of Art New Asian Waves ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art, Karlsruhe, Germany
	Between Generations University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	Selamat Datang Ke Malaysia 4A Gallery, Sydney, Australia, Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	Malaysiana Installation Asia House, London, United Kingdom
	C Magazine Issue # 4 Publication, Ivory Press, United Kingdom
2006	Common Ground, Sharjan Museum, United Arab Emirates
2005	Taman Sari, WWF fund raising exhibition, Rimbun Dahan, Malaysia
	Art ConneXions, Art Pavilion, Manila, Philippines; Australian Center for Photography, Sydney, Australia
	You Are Here, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	The PETRONAS Art Collection: Series 2, Petronas Art Collection, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Malaysia
2004	The PETRONAS Art Collection: Series 1, Petronas Art Collection, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Malaysia
	HISTORY AND BEYOND: Malaysian Photography from 1900 to the Present Day’, National Art Gallery Malaysia
	Jejak Langkah, National Art Gallery, Malaysia
	Malaysian Art NOW, National Art Gallery, Malaysia
2003	Der Rest der Welt’, Neuffer Am Park, Pirmasens
	Things We Believe II, Pruss & Ochs Gallery, Berlin, Germany
	Horizon, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2002	‘Frankfurt Art Fair 2002’, Frankfurt Art Fair, Frankfurt, Germany
	‘Identities – Who We Are’, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	Matching Patterns' rooftop linoleum installation, Opening exhibition for Singapore Esplanade Entertainment Centre launch, Singapore
	Buy Me handbag Installation at ARCO ’02 – Asian Party (Global Game) II, Cutting Edge Pavilion ARCO’02, Madrid, Spain
2001	BUY printed plastic bags installation, Substation Gallery, Singapore
	conversations with tea curated by Judy Freya Siberan, Nomad-Scapular Gallery, Manila, Philippines
	WWF: fund-raising exhibition, Rimbun Dahan Gallery, Sungai Buloh, Malaysia
	Headlights: Contemporary Malaysian Arts, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2000	Asia in Australia: Beyond Orientalism, Global Arts Link, Queensland, Australia
	L'art dans le monde curated by Paris-Musees, City of Paris, Paris, France
	Rupa Malaysia curated by Redza Piyadasa, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	Generations: Malaysian Artists, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	goldfish & football, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1999	'Through Our Eyes' Contemporary Malaysian Women Artists, Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	The Third Asia Pacific Arts Triennial, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
1998	devil's advocate, Asia Pacific People's Assembly, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	space bar, NN Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	re/form: art law justice, Touring exhibition, Queensland, Australia
1997	Con + Fuse, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1996	Malaysian Contemporary Photography, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1994	Knowing The Sensorium, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia
	and four come home, Sabah State Art Gallery, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
	Contemporary Photography, Greenaway Art Gallery Adelaide, Australia