Black Goldfish : I Have 11 Brilliant Ideas Painting

Sean Lean (b. 1981) originates from Selangor, Malaysia. Having graduated with a diploma in Visual & Digital Arts at Lim Kok Wing University, his artistic path was not quite as conventional as one may instantly assume. Humorously lured into the fine arts sect of the art faculty by a teaching member, through the convincing notion of the supposed female magnetism and attainable extravagant acquisitions that come with, Lean's sole intent of undertaking an animations course was almost immediately consigned to oblivion. If it were not for this artful lecturer's cunning "˜sell' along with the prospective artist's naïveté, the eventual formation of Lean's genuine passion for painting may have never been realised. Upon graduating, the transition from student to artist was not instantaneous. Just a little ways down, Lean would come to face bouts of struggles with retaining the inspiration to paint. Whilst in university, the budding artist's self-admitted competitive nature lent a hand in him bettering his artistic technique out of the need to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing artworks amongst his peers. While an advantageous trait to possess, he soon found that his competitive streak eventually hampered his level of creativity. Amidst his strive to rekindle the flames of inspiring artistry, Lean found himself partaking in the painting of trivial subject matters such as landscapes and other forms of still life as a means of prolonging his artistic momentum. At this time he had simultaneously taken on the role of tutor and later that of part-time lecturer, at Lim Kok Wing University, which assisted in further enhancing his understanding of the arts in both a practical and theoretical sense, and had also begun freelancing as a t-shirt designer, which in combination provided Lean with the needed financial stability. This particular period was one of great questioning for Lean. Unsure as to whether the route towards being a practicing artist was one he wanted to embark upon, he decided along with several of his artistic counterparts that setting up a studio where they would spend large portions of their time in, would serve as some form of aid in this decision. The mentally and emotionally tumultuous trek which Lean seemed to have continuously been on thus far would continue on as such for a longer duration than he could have hoped or anticipated.