In The Frame

Young contemporary artist Sean Lean celebrates his passion for art and Malaysian identity through his exclusive cover for BAZAAR Art 2017.

- Emmilyn Yeoh

Sean Lean was lured into the art world by accident after a conversation with a fine arts lecturer. “He painted a very rosy picture, and I was tricked!” he jokes. After graduating, Sean spent a few years in digital animation before taking the plunge five years ago to pursue a full-time career as an artist. Born and bred in a traditional ethnic Chinese family, and exposed to Western influences later through comic books, Sean has since carved his path to serve his passion for cultural identities through mixed media collages. His evocative cover for BAZAAR Art, entitled 1957–, draws on Malaysia’s illustrious past, posing a question about the present and ongoing progression of our identity as a nation: “Being part of this bigger motion means giving it a go at crafting how we want Malaysia to be.”