Years have since passed and although she finds herself in her 60s, Bee Lee remains largely unknown to the art world as none of her pieces has reached the public eye – until now.

Given the intricacy of each piece, one would expect her to have years of experience. Surprisingly, the self-taught artist spent most of her life away from brushes and paints.

After her mother fell ill, however, Bee Lee was encouraged to pick up her brushes again.

When she was younger, Bee Lee was considered one of the top artists at Methodist Girls School in Melaka. Teachers and students alike would gather around her during lunchtime to admire her works in progress.

Unfortunately, the young artist did not have the opportunity to pursue tertiary education as her parents were financially strained having to look after her and her seven siblings.

She was still sketching in her 20s but after getting married, she entered motherhood and her paintbrushes continued to collect dust. As her three children grew up, Bee Lee continued to draw whenever she could, although she never thought she would pick up her brushes again.

Then, when she was in her 50s, things changed entirely.

Bee Lee’s father had passed away in 2012 and her mother, then already in her late 70s, had not wanted to leave their house despite being old and sickly. She lived alone for three years.

Bee Lee would make hour-long trips from her home in Bangsar – where she lives until today – to her mother’s house in Kota Kemuning four times a week. Each time she visited, she would grow increasingly worried about her mother’s health.

“She had dementia and Parkinson’s, and also had spurs in her spine so she could hardly move at all,” she tells FMT.

Naturally, Bee Lee was relieved when her mother finally agreed to live with her.

“After she moved in with me, I pushed her around in a wheelchair and brought her out to the garden, but most of the time we were homebound and I’d keep her company by sitting next to her.”

Bee Lee’s mother spent most days resting in bed or watching TV in the living room. Then one day it occurred to her that she could use her time, while sitting by her mother’s side, to paint.

“I’ve always had untouched brushes and paints that were presents from my children,” she shares. “They had seen my sketches and had always encouraged me to paint.”

Bee Lee finally faced a blank canvas in 2015 and prepared to express herself through oils and acrylics. She brushed up on oil-painting techniques through books and the internet.

“When I sat with my mother, I gave her the comfort of knowing that I was close to her and sometimes she would even hobble over to have a look.

“My mother was actually very creative herself as she used to embroider the most beautiful pieces, so she really appreciated my art.”

Bee Lee’s brushstrokes comforted her as her mother’s condition worsened.

“She hallucinated a lot, so she got easily confused with what was reality and what wasn’t. Sometimes she said my father had come back to visit her.

“She even had flashbacks of her time during the Japanese occupation,” Bee Lee says, explaining that her grandfather had been assigned to slaughter cows and chickens to prepare meat for the Japanese soldiers, and her mother had had to help him.

Thankfully, whenever her mum experienced these hallucinations, Bee Lee was able to quickly calm her down by talking with her while she sat at her easel. “It worked both ways as my mum had the comfort of knowing I was close, while I found the art so therapeutic.”

Bee Lee draws inspiration from the beauty of life and spends months working on each painting. Her artworks burst with vibrant colours and hyperrealism and carry a common theme – to spread a positive outlook on life.

Each painting is fuelled by her heartfelt intention that the person who receives it will feel happy and obtain abundance by hanging it in their home.

Sadly, Bee Lee’s mother passed away in 2016 at age 84, but Bee Lee continues to paint to this day. Her works have touched the hearts of friends and family members, and she has even been commissioned to work on portraits.

“My mother always joked that my pieces would be sold one day,” Bee Lee says. “I’m happy to say that her words have come true.”

Although her mother is no longer by her side, memories of her mother will forever live on in Bee Lee’s heart, just like her unending love for art.

If you’re interested in Bee Lee’s paintings or would like to commission a piece, visit artorias.my or email [email protected] for more information.