Yee I-Lann works across photomontage, collaborative weaving, film, and installation to explore the impact of Southeast Asia’s turbulent geopolitical history upon the social memory of this archipelago region. Her practice addresses the region’s colonial past by creating affective ways of picturing power which pull focus to counter-narratives and ‘histories from below’. Through her sustained engagement with local communities, Indigenous knowledge systems, critical theory, and popular culture, Yee has created a unique visual language that makes a powerful statement for a politics of inclusion.
Yee graduated from the University of South Australia Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) in 1992. Selected recent solo exhibitions include Yee I-Lann: 2005-2016, Ayala Museum, Manila, 2016; Yee I-Lann & Collaborators: Borneo Heart, Sabah International
Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu, 2021 and Yee I-Lann: Until We Hug Again, Centre for Heritage, Arts & Textile, Hong Kong, 2021. In 2023, she worked with RogueArt and six spaces in the city to mount the project Borneo Heart in Kuala Lumpur, with support from Silverlens. She has also recently exhibited at the 14th Gwangju Biennale, 2023; National Gallery Singapore, 2022; 17th Istanbul Biennial, 2022; Aichi Triennale, 2022; 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 2021; Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 2021; and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, 2020.
