As a five-year-old child, I recall watching my sister paint with oils, and then my grandfather Lee Kah Yeow - a renowned artist in Southeast Asia - paint with black ink and wash on rice paper. Their work captivated me, from the bold sweeping brush strokes illustrating mountains and pine trees to the bright hues of painted lotuses, peonies, and pine trees. Since then, I find myself looking at the world through a different lens. Throughout my childhood and adolescent years, I received instruction from various prominent artists in Malaysia, including Chia Yu Chian (http://www.lagaleriedumonde.com/artist/chia-yu-chian/), Phoon Poh Hong, and Yap Hong Ngee.