Artist statement
Yap Chee Keng was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2010 and 2013, he obtained an Associate Degree in Interior Architecture and Diploma in Visual Arts from New Era College, Malaysia. He went to Taiwan to study in 2016, he obtained a bachelor degree from Tunghai University, and in 2020, he received a master degree from the Fine Arts Department of National Taipei University of the Arts, Taiwan.
During this period of time, he devoted himself very hard to creation and published many solo exhibitions in Taiwan. Solo exhibitions were held in Hsinchu wòwò Aesthetics, Taipei King Car Art Center and New Taipei City Arts and Culture Center. He also invites participated in group exhibition.
His artworks also won the 2022 Malaysia Young Contemporaries / Bakat Muda Sezaman (Jury Award), 2021 Next Art Tainan Award, 2020 Nanying Award (Western Media: Excellent Works), the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (National Art Exhibition) Oil Painting (Category: Silver Medal), and also won the National Taipei University of the Arts’ important creation award " Outstanding Art Prize of School of Fine Arts 2020 " and many other affirmations.
Carpenter's ink marker is YAP's creative inspiration, which connects with his childhood and his experience studying interior architecture. Now the line made by “carpenter ink marker” present a continuation of his life story on the canvas; they are repeatedly overlapped, stretching endlessly into eternity. The lines are densely or loosely distributed, or they are piled up. Countless colorful lines are piled together, injecting into the painting sense of time and labor. Through the color combination that symbolizes culture and life, the author tries to create a diverse color space.