‘Art4Good’: turning a love of painting into help for others

When Yeow Teck Chai picks up a paintbrush, he hopes the finished work will find a home. He also hopes it will help someone he may never meet.

The former deputy director-general of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) has spent years using his love of painting to raise funds for charity. This month, he will do so again at “Art4Good: Painting from the Heart”.

Running from Oct 14-18 at Bangsar Shopping Centre and supported by FMT, the exhibition will raise funds for two non-profit organisations: Free Food Society (FFS) and the Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped (SSMH).

Although these organisations help people in different ways, both share the common goal of improving the lives of vulnerable members of society by creating more opportunities for them.

Based in Desa Rejang, Setapak, FFS helps 85 underprivileged families put food on the table and runs tuition classes for their children, using education to help break the cycle of poverty.

At SSMH’s training centre in Petaling Jaya, children with severe disabilities receive rehabilitative therapy tailored to their needs, helping them learn everyday skills to become more independent.

More than 120 paintings will be on display and for sale at the exhibition. Yeow, the principal artist, has contributed almost 100 of them, drawing on a passion for art that has stayed with him since childhood.

Since his first charity exhibition in 2018, sales of more than 400 of his paintings have supported charitable causes. This will be his fourth charity exhibition.

Yeow will be joined by fellow artists Oon Soon Keat, Yoon Chooi Wan and Tan Ken Ming, who has Asperger’s syndrome. Also taking part is eight-year-old Winsen Loke, who has global developmental delay and attends rehabilitative therapy at SSMH.

The exhibition will be officially launched on Oct 14 by former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz. She, too, has contributed eight paintings, which will be sold through a silent auction.

Whether you pause to admire the artworks or find a painting to take home, behind every piece is an artist hoping to bring a little beauty into your day, and a little help to someone who needs it.

‘Art4Good: Painting from the Heart’

When:
Oct 14-18 (Wednesday to Sunday), 10am-10pm

Official launch:
Oct 14 @ 7.30pm

Where:
Main Concourse @ Bangsar Shopping Centre,
Jalan Maarof, Bangsar,
59000 Kuala Lumpur

View and learn more about the paintings here. For more information or to place an order, contact Aliza. For other exhibition enquiries, contact Fadillah Yakin (012-203 3920) or Mithila (012-203 0562).

Silent auction details

• Auction dates: Oct 7-18
• Minimum bid: RM1,000 per painting
• Results: Oct 19. Successful bidders will be contacted directly.

View Rafidah Aziz’s artworks here. To submit a bid, contact Aliza or email [email protected].

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