biography

Born 1971 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Yee I-Lann now lives and works in both Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur as an artist and a production designer for feature films. Incorporating various media including photography, film and installation, her practice seeks connections between landscape, memory and cultural identity. I-Lann received her BA in Visual Arts from the University of South Australia, Adelaide in 1992 majoring in photography and cinematography. She currently holds a teaching position at Akedemi Seni Kebangsaan (National Arts Academy) in the film department. I-Lann has exhibited widely and has recently taken part in 'Thermocline of Art: New Asian Art' at the ZKM Gallery in Karlsruhe, Germany, 'New Nature' at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Zealand and was invited to speak about her practice under the 'Global Photography Now' seminar at the Tate Modern in London. Her recent films as production designer are ‘Rain Dogs’ directed by Ho Yuhang for Focus First Cuts and ‘Dukun’ directed by Dain Said for Astro Shaw.


Kinabalu series

The "Kinabalu series" explores the eroded spiritual power of the Kadazandusun woman and her shifting relationship to her land. Mt Kinabalu is the only fixture in Sabah's dramatically changing environment and the final resting place of ancestors. "Huminodun" is in respect to the Kadazandusun creation story where woman created the earth and padi and thus cultivated her community. "Anak Negeri" is my self portrait, family sitcom and museum diorama. As a Vision 2020 Malaysian, I try and find my place, balanced with an inheritance I have from my Kadazan grandmother, as the oil palm spreads and we, like the harvest and the landscape become homogenized. "Kopivosian" is modern Sabah - a huge oil palm estate, a factory for Putrajaya. The "Kinabalu series" is my lament for Sabah.