Sun Yu-Li and his 30-Year Pursuit

Sun has been a local artist in Singapore for over 20 years and his works can be seen all around Singapore from the Singapore Art Museum to the Suntec City. Mr. Sun shares with Artyii on why he took on this 30 year relentless pursuit to discover the universal language.

On why Sun is an artist

Sun: I tend not to consider myself as an artist, though what we see here are all works of art. Personally, I feel that art is giving your thoughts and idea a ‘face’ or an ‘identity’ so that it can be relayed to others as well.

For the past 30-40 years, I was chasing a dream, an idea. I chose arts because it is a straightforward, simple and convenient way to convey my inner thoughts. People have said that I am dreaming. But now I am preparing to record this dream and conclude it.

Poetry, sculptures, paintings are all mediums to communicate a message. It is therefore crucial to look beyond this medium and explore the artist’s key message


Why is he so passionate about pursuing the beginnings?

Sun: While I did well in school, studying was tough for me. A great turning point came when I suffered a serious illness in primary 3. I was very fortunate as statistics have shown this disease is fatal for one in every three patients.

However, given my bad memory after the illness, I do not think that I have recovered fully.

Interestingly, my interest in pursuing beginnings started to grow, beginnings in life and in objects. I was also influenced by my Father who is avid collector of archaeological items.

Of course, I feel that everyone has harboured thoughts such as, ‘what is life?’ ‘What is the purpose in life?’ ‘How big is the universe?’ These thoughts intrigue me a great deal more than others.

In university, my mind was still preoccupied with these unanswered questions. Another turning point came along. My professor, who is also a family friend, gave me a book (Images of the City) which inspired me greatly.

Two years into my professorship with University of Sydney, I submitted a paper that documented my thoughts. Unfortunately, my professor did not think highly of my work and from his reaction, I knew that pursuing my PhD would be an uphill task. After discussions with my wife, we decided to move to Singapore.

On his first piece of your work

Sun: I made my first sale in Singapore. Edmund Cheng, Deputy Chairman of Wing Tai Holdings was the buyer. Our paths first cross before I was an artist. We met while working in the same architecture firm, 2 or 3 years later, we both left the company to pursue our interests. One day I saw from newspapers that Wing Tai was investing to support the arts so I wrote to him immediately and made my first sale.

If he was not as successful as an artist, would he continue his pursuit?

Sun: We have to face reality, if being an artist cannot provide your family, we will have to put it on hold. Of course, my works are giving me an income, sufficient for materials purchase and rental for the gallery. I am not pursuing arts because it is art. I am pursuing it because of the meaning it represents.

Advice to young struggling artists

Sun: Concentrate on accumulating your experiences. This will make it possible to create inspiring works that draws on your wealth of experience. Read, learn and grow, give your works the depth besides looking good on the surface. For a work to be inspiring, to relay a thousand words, a lot of if depends on the artist’s personal experiences, thoughts and philosophy. To take an analogy of a tree’s crown. How wide the crown is will depend on how extensive its roots are.