Filmmaker rebounds after tragic losses with new art exhibition

In December 2021, film director and visual artist Mark Lee See Teck suffered a huge blow when several paintings he had prepared for an exhibition were destroyed by the major floods that hit the country.

They were housed in his studio and home in Kampung Bukit Lanchong, Subang Jaya.

Lee (above) has since tried to move on, working on ad films and his feature film, “Eraser” (premiered over Amazon Prime) and his recently finished work on a psychological thriller “Lubuk” (in negotiations with a major streaming service).

Now, two years after the devastating floods, Lee is back with a solo exhibition called “Rooting Marks” - that will be held from Dec 8 to 18 (10am to 6pm daily) at Hall 1, Level M, Menara Ken TTDI and presented by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers.

Lee’s distinctive contemporary and abstract expressionist style is evident as well, and his love for mountains is captured in this exhibition that will showcase 18 paintings and two transitional pieces in which he hand-painted evening gowns designed by Dominique Chan.

Lee, who is also doing a PhD in Environmental Conservation at Universiti Putra Malaysia told Malaysiakini that his studio is still located at Kampong Bukit Lanchong.

He acknowledged the mixed emotions felt when he thought of the paintings lost in the flood.

However, Lee felt that it was perhaps God’s will as he was having doubts about his work - whether it was good enough to be shown to the world.

“Although there was a lot of hard work, money and time involved, this incident helped me put more thought into my work and develop into this series that I am presenting,” Lee mused.

Explaining why he called this new series of paintings “Rooting Marks”, he said, “Everything on earth, living or non-living, means a lot to me.

“So, it's how deeply we want to root our existence in this physical world at this given time. That matters to me very much.

"I don’t want to live an ordinary life. I just think that I can make good use of the skills I possess to contribute to this contemporary art world, whether in filming or the fine arts.

“It's actually about how deep one can ‘plant’ their existence in this physical world at this given time,” Lee explained.

Connecting with his roots

He has been showcasing some of his paintings at exhibitions and most recently, featured some of his work at an exhibition in Singapore in November.

However, “Rooting Marks” is an entirely new collection of work.

On his penchant for painting mountains, Lee said it was because the former has a sentimental value to him.

Lee spends a lot of time in nature and enjoys climbing and hiking in mountainous terrain.

“I love discovering new mountain peaks because it gives me self-satisfaction. Being bound by nature offers a different feeling compared to interacting with a human being.

“Lately, I discovered something which is cave hiking. So, I go into the caves and discover the beauty that lies within them,” Lee said.

He incorporated his new experience into “Rooting Marks” to make it extra special. He described it as looking at the outer view of a mountain as well as the inner part, such as the stalactites and stalagmites, like having an “X-ray view” of a mountain.

On why he was into arts, Lee said previously he saw it as a means of escape from the world.

Right after losing his paintings and having his studio damaged by floods, Lee suffered another tragedy when his close friend and a star of “Eraser”, actress Adibah Noor passed away last year. He also lost his pet dog around the same time.

On Nov 29, another star of the film “Eraser” actress and singer Queenzy Cheng passed away.

Losing dear ones, Lee said, had influenced his work but accepted the fact that life and death are part of a grand plan.

“’Rooting Marks’ is actually about how I must fully utilise life every day to do justice to the skills I’m blessed with and the skills I have developed throughout the years.

“Yes, their passing has hit me hard, but it also makes me want to strive more and work harder.”

Lee noted that life is unpredictable, adding he had also lost friends to the pandemic. Hence, his work became somewhat of an “emotional getaway”.

“An artist can't just stay in one place and work within their comfort zone, sticking to the same style, not moving forward and putting more thought into their work.

"However, we need to step forward and evolve but this can't be rushed. It just goes with the flow of life and our experiences," he added.

On his other works, Lee is also currently busy shooting for a documentary and in January, he will start work on his next film, “Kabus” which is funded by Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).

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