Yong Mun Sen’s iconic watercolour paintings capture the grandeur of nature rendered in swift and deft strokes. This artwork is a depiction of a temple overlooking the blue horizon consisting of a vast seascape. Imagine performing prayer while hearing the sound of waves. It’s an overwhelming feeling of calm and peace all at once. The legendary Yong Mun Sen is one of the earliest watercolorists, one with profound influence and high visibility. He was referred to as the Father of Malaysian Painting by dealer-gallerist-artist-writer-publisher Dato’ Dr. Tan Chee Khuan in several of his books on pioneer artists. Born Yong Yen Lang, Mun Sen (the name he adopted in 1922) returned to China briefly (1914) before picking up art on his return to his hometown Sarawak. He had stints in Singapore before settling in Penang (1922), where he set up a photography studio cum gallery. He co-founded the Penang Chinese Art Club and the Singapore Society of Chinese Artists. He was accorded posthumous memorials by Singapore (1966), the National Art Gallery Malaysia and the Penang State Art Gallery (PSAG) in 1972, and the PSAG followed it up with a retrospective in 1999.