Summary Info

Summary Info of Ping Lian Yeak - Rev Dec 2009- Click here to Download

Sarah SH Lee says about Ping Lian - Extract from  "My Journey ..." catalogue Jan 2008 - Click here to download

" Sarah SH Lee Says about Ping Lian - His Journey and gallery- June 2009 - Click here to download

Ping Lian Yeak 
Born in Malaysia - 18 Nov 1993
Living in Sydney , Australia - May 2006
16 yr old Prodigious Savant Artist (Autistic)

“…Ping Lian's artwork stands on its own demonstrating a remarkable artistic ability.  His artworks take on an added significance when one sees such ABILITY CO-EXIST with DIS – ABILITY. He is a natural artist whose work draws immediate attention, and appreciation.  His works are a spark of joy and flame, talent and enthusiasm...”
-
Jan 2008

“Ping Lian’s art is really very amazing. I would certainly put him into the category of ‘savants’…I really like his art…... They are national treasures wherever they are located...”
- Sept 2004

~ Darold A. Treffert, MD, author of Extraordinary People: Understanding the Savant Syndrome, has been studying the Savant Syndrome for the last 45 years. He was a consultant to the award winning movie Rain Man.  www.savantsyndrome.com

Ping Lian Yeak
16 yr old Prodigious Savant Artist (Autistic)
www.pinglian.com

 

Initially Ping Lian was hyperactive, living in his own world, not showing affection or awareness of danger, unable to hold a pencil to write or to use a scissor to cut.

In order to strengthen and develop Ping Lian’s fine motor skills, his home program focused on tracing and coloring activities. These activities also served as a way for Ping Lian to be able to occupy himself, given his inability to appropriately engage in any leisure or socialization skills. Ping Lian also had very poor imitation skills. Guiding him through tracing and drawing activities, stroke by stroke was also one of the ways to develop his imitation skills. Ultimately tracing became a catalyst for discovering his exceptional art talent.

Now Ping Lian is a talented Artist full of love and affection. Due to his mother’s perseverance he has also matured into an obedient, hardworking, and grateful boy. Ping Lian still has limited communication and social skills. Art has provided him with an outlet of expression. His unique style of bold strokes and cheerful color has won over many art enthusiasts and collectors.
  • At the age of 8 (mid-2002), Ping Lian out-grew tracing and seemed to suddenly acquire an obsession in drawing. The transition from tracing to drawing happened almost instantly. One day after he had finished eating an ice-cream cone, he just started drawing the pictures that were printed on the ice cream wrapper. He has not stopped drawing since then. The quality of his drawing has rapidly advanced and his rate of progress is fascinating.   

  • March 2003 - Ping Lian’s mother wrote in her diary “I want to develop Ping Lian to be an Artist, I know he will be an Artist one day”….. And I get Ping Lian to say “I Want to be an Artist” every day as a way to “brainwash” him….
  • At age 11 - Ping Lian’s work, “Ubudiah Mosque I“was donated to Riding for the Disabled Association, Malaysia charity auction. It sold for MYR 100,000.00 (20th Nov 2004).

  • TV Coverage & exhibitions:

    ~ At age 11 - Filmed forKorea Broadcasting System’s 60-minutes Savant Syndrome documentary alongside Kim Peek (real Rain Man) and Kodi Lee. & Eve’s Diary (TV8 - Malaysia) featured Ping Lian and his solo exhibition at ABWM House.

    ~ At age 12 - Focus Productions from UK,  filmed Ping Lian at his exhibition at Henry Gregg Gallery, Brooklyn, New York for documentary,  Painting the Minda I hour documentary for Channel 4, also aired on Four Corners, ABC TV Australia, April 2007, and Scandinavia.

    ~ At age 13 - Uncovering the Secret of Childhood (EBS- Korea) featured an interview with Ping Lian during the “Windows of Genius: Artworks of the Prodigious Savant” art exhibition at Wisconsin USA with Dr. Darold Treffert.

    ~ At age 14 – “Don’t ‘dis’ the ability” - Ping Lian’s artworks were featured at the United Nations Headquarters in New York (April 2008) in honor of the inaugural World Autism Awareness Day.

       
  • ~ At Age 16, (August 09) -Official Opening of his personal gallery in Malaysia – “Ping Lian @ The Art Commune” featuring a permanent showcase of his works in Malaysia, established  by The Art Commune and supported by JPMorgan Chase Foundation (for 2009) in collaboration with ABWM.
       
  • Ping Lian continues to create magnificent works of art using charcoal, acrylic, watercolor, ink and oil pastels and his art works have been featured in exhibitions in the United States, UK, Australia, Germany, Japan & Malaysia. A book about Ping Lian titled “I Want To Be _ Artist”- Voice of an autistic boy: The Story of an Autistic Savant Artist and a mother's dreams transformed onto canvas is scheduled to be completed in 2010.
       

    More views & comments about Ping Lian:

    • “Yeak’s works in Through My Eyes are proof of an extraordinary ability that is being channeled through a proper medium…. Overall, Yeak is diverse in his approach to art. His innate talent is simply amazing” – 17 Sept 2004 Geetha Krishnan Art StarMetro

    • "…Watching this young boy create his art was an unequivocally amazing experience.  Albert Einstein once said “True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist”. He was speaking about Ping Lian Yeak!  Ping Lian possesses this “urge”. His demonstration while creating an acrylic painting was astonishing… His paintings, tends to encompass hidden aspects or forms, not initially seen or noticed upon first view.  His use of color and his creation of intricate lines result in images within images, that often appear unlimited on canvas.  Each stroke appeared effortlessly calculated requiring measurement, memory, imitation, uniqueness and genius!” – Sept 2007 Dr. Rosa C. Martinez

    www.rcmautismnotebook.com watching Ping Lian painting live at the “Windows of Genius: Artworks of the Prodigious Savant”

    •  “ ..This is not just an exhibition of remarkable artworks but it is about the sharing of possibilities, it is hope, it is about aspirations, struggles and victories...” - Yvonne Hon, gallery owner describes Ping Lian’s solo exhibition -- "My Journey.....”   at The Art Commune, Malaysia, Jan 2008

    • “Ping Lian’s gift is a gift from God.  I thank God for this miracle gift and the many “miracles happening” in our lives. I also thank God for the special favors he has granted to Ping Lian’s Artistic Journey…. Ping Lian’s life is a testimony to my quotation that I wrote many years ago:

    “IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO YOU ARE NOW, IT IS WHO YOU WANT TO BE AND WHO YOU BECOME THAT MATTERS. Make Decisions AND      

        Take ACTION NOW!”  -- Jan 2008 Ping Lian’s mother


    "Let us celebrate and focus on what autistic people can do, not what they can't do and do not
    label them as DISABLED."

    Sarah SH Lee (Ping Lian’s mother)
    Email : sarahshlee888@yahoo.com
    Mobile:+61 (0) 4 0105 1351

    New York contact: Dr Rosa C. Martinez,  RCMPHD1@verizon.net 
    www.rcmautismnotebook.com
    Ping Lian’s permanent gallery (Malaysia) :

     

    Address: Level 2, Kompleks 3C, Gate 3, Jalan SS13/3, Subang Jaya,
                   47500 Selangor, Malaysia. (near Kuala Lumpur)
    Tel.        : +603 5635 9110   Fax : +603 5635 0001
    Email     : enquiry@theartcommune.com

     

    Extracts from “My Journey….”
    Ping Lian’s solo art exhibition book catalogue:

    Sarah SH Lee Says….
    (Ping Lian’s mother)

    It has been a long journey indeed from the time when Ping Lian was a hyperactive child, living in his own world, not showing affection or awareness of danger, unable to hold a pencil correctly to write or to use a scissors to cut.

    Now he is an Artist full of love and affection. He is obedient, loving, caring and a grateful boy with a special gift and talent in drawing, painting and colors. Ping Lian’s gift is a gift from God.  I thank God for this miracle gift and the many “miracles happening” in our lives. I also thank God for the special favours he has granted to Ping Lian’s Artistic Journey. … What Ping Lian has achieved thus far would not have been possible without the support, advice and encouragement of many special individuals and organizations.  They have contributed to change Ping Lian’s life and also have indirectly set a course for changes in our family life.

    I would like to take this opportunity to say a word of special thanks to all the people and organizations involved in contributing and being part of Ping Lian’s journey in life. I regard them as God- send- angels.

    The memory of Ping Lian's father and his grandmother are also strength for our family and I believe they both smile upon us from heaven as they witness the progress Ping Lian is making and the positive changes in our lives.

    I would like to share a quotation that I created many years ago in an effort to motivate myself and my company’s sales teams. At the time, I did not know that this quotation would later on play a very important part in inspiring me to develop and set goals for Ping Lian in his Artistic Journey and his personal development.

    “ IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO YOU ARE NOW

    IT IS WHO YOU WANT TO BE

    AND

    WHO YOU BECOME THAT MATTERS

    MAKE DECISIONS AND TAKE ACTION  NOW !! “

    Ping Lian’s life is a testimony to this quotation. Even though Ping Lian does not understand this quote, I have grasped it fully well and I have applied it time and again, and  I also impart this motivational thought and spirit onto Ping Lian.

    Dare to Dream, set Goals, dare to Change and  take Immediate Action, the rest will just follow and fall into place because God in His Will, will also guide and provide.

    We are happy with all that Ping Lian has achieved thus far…. but we still have a long way to go to achieve the Ultimate Level. With autism in our lives, what is the Ultimate Level? I still do not know! Thus we continue to live by the above quote one level at a time and look forward to more future progress and changes.