GOING BEYOND LIMITATIONS

Janet Lee did not let being differently-abled limit her dreams.

AN artist always inspires others with their art but colourist Janet Lee is an exception as she herself is an inspiration to others.

Life is a battle for the differently-abled Lee, yet she chooses to rise above the obstacles in her path. She has intellectual disabilities and faces challenges in communication as a result. Lee also suffers from epileptic seizures. However, she has innate talent as a painter, as showcased in her artworks.

In her art, she expresses her unique inner-self creatively by choosing colours and simple subjects to express her mind or mood at a particular moment on the canvas, and these artworks are divided into five themes – Dreams, Vista, Blossom, Erratic and Cheer.

Dreams are about personal feelings and self-reflection, focusing on patterns and impressions. Vista covers beautiful paintings of landscapes, showing gratitude for nature and life while Blossom depicts an eclectic mix of flowers and signifies renewal. Cheer focuses on joy, mirth and amusement through lines, circles and shapes in vibrant colours while artworks under the Erratic theme showcases her moods at any given time.

Lee’s artworks have been exhibited at the Asia Invitation Art Exhibition in Seoul, Korea in 2019, the Unity Thru Arts International Online Art Exhibition in Philippines in December last year and recently, her artworks were exhibited at the Mart Expo Globe Online exhibition.

She is an annual participant (since 2014) of the exhibition organised by The Hidden Truths Project Annual Art Exhibition, now known as “1:26 The Art of Epilepsy”, held in various cities like California, and San Francisco.

In November last year, she opened her own Janet Lee Gallery in Kuala Lumpur with the help of her mother, Joyce Moi. The gallery showcases Lee’s artworks and #artbeyondthecanvas, promotional and collaborative projects and merchandise comprising canvas prints, bespoke fashion, premium and corporate gifts.

In the beginning

Lee discovered art when she was a child.

“I have always loved colours. I am a colourist,” said the 31-year-old, who expresses her feelings through art.

According to Moi, her daughter’s art journey started in 2011 after she finally found an art teacher, Irene Thin, who was willing to work with Lee to help her explore her passion for various colours to create her artworks. Some teachers had felt that Lee did not possess any artistic talent, as she was only interested in colours.

“In 2017, I placed my daughter under the mentorship of artist Phillip Wong,” said Moi, who acts as Lee’s spokesperson (due to her communication difficulties).

“Janet has epilepsy, which is just another neurological disorder like autism. Although she has uncontrolled seizures and intellectual disability, I still feel there are ways to help her develop herself,” added Moi.

It is not easy for Lee to paint but she has learned to overcome obstacles, despite her condition. She takes a few days to create one painting, depending on her mood or situation.

“We break the painting sessions into separate days so she doesn’t get too tired to avoid triggering a seizure,” said Moi on some of the challenges faced by her daughter.

To return the love and support they have received thus far, the mother and daughter team gives back to society by donating 10% from the sale of artworks and #artbeyondthecanvas to Rumah Sayangan, a children’s shelter home.

Moi has successfully turned her daughter’s art into a business.

“Art has given her an ability to earn a living,” added Moi, who has plans to develop Lee into a brand that stands for positivity, empowerment and gratitude – the three things they focus on in daily life.