ART MAKES A WAY by Rachel Mthembu

Art makes a Way

Art makes a Way

A MOTHER’S STORY OF UNSHAKEABLE FAITH

WORDS: RACHEL MTHEMBU IMAGE: BEN FAULKNER

Words create worlds, as the old adage goes. With a word, God created the heavens and the earth. With her words, Sarah Lee spoke into being the creative potential deposited in her son. Through sheer willpower and dogged determination, she had her son Ping Lian Yeak repeat this one phrase: “I want to be artist.” Once this phrase took root, she built upon that foundation, having him repeat, “I want to be a great artist.” Ping Lian is now internationally recognised for his art, though the journey hasn’t always been a simple one.

Ping Lian was born in Malaysia on 18 November 1993. In early childhood, the severe limitations and developmental delays caused by his autism were apparent in his behaviour and lack of social and communication skills.

Sarah was not one to be deterred by these limitations. With an unerring optimism from the onset, she tirelessly formulated ideas to help Ping Lian with his development, often involving his two older sisters. From learning numeracy on the television to learning English from having CDs playing in the background, Sarah has filled numerous journals detailing Ping Lian’s progress, challenges and triumphs over the years. But there was one specific idea that had the most enduring and influential impact in her son’s life.

To help him develop his fine motor skills, Sarah developed tracing and colouring exercises for Ping Lian to complete. She wrote in her journal, “I want to develop Ping Lian to be an artist. I know he will be an artist one day.” Sarah was inspired by books she was reading to speak her burning desires for her son into existence, no matter how impossible they seemed. She then prayed that ‘her dream’ would become ‘their dream’.

At the age of eight, after more than three years of working on his fine motor skills, Ping Lian acquired an ardent interest in drawing. He has been avidly growing in his artistic endeavours ever since. When Ping Lian was nine years old, his mother employed three different art teachers to guide him along his journey and help him develop in different artistic styles.

From Ping Lian’s earliest years, faith played an important role in his family’s life. In Malaysia, the family attended a church where Sarah was inspired by how well the children’s teachers interacted with Ping Lian. This was a big catalyst in cementing Sarah’s faith. As challenges surfaced, her conviction to God deepened.

In 2004, Sarah’s husband passed away from a sudden heart attack. This had a heartbreaking effect on Ping Lian, who lost both his role model and only male friend.

“I was angry, but I surrendered,” Sarah said, showing the strong posture of faith that has underpinned much of her life. This loss was the primary catalyst that caused them to move to Sydney, Australia two years later.

Through developing strategies to help her son and her tireless research, she decided it would be beneficial to start imparting goals and dreams into him from early on.

“Sometimes I find this idea, and it turns out it is actually God,” Sarah shared, believing in God’s purpose for her son’s life. Through her development strategies, vision-casting and positive self-talk she has Ping Lian repeat, she is motivating him to become the man she believes God has created him to be.

The overwhelming success of this is evident. Ping Lian’s achievements have been far-reaching. He now has art displayed in the United States, Australia,

#05402 Prosperous Year (Rooster) | 2005 Age 11

Japan, Germany, the UK, South Korea, Singapore, and even in a Sultan’s palace in Malaysia.

There have been documentaries made about Ping Lian, and his artwork and story have been featured in textbooks. Always her son’s strongest advocate, Sarah travels with a thick red folder, displaying his artwork, articles he has been featured in, and numerous other achievements. Dr. Martinez and Sarah collaborated for more than ten years, and Dr. Martinez edited Sarah’s book, I Want To Be Artist: An Autistic Savant’s Voice and A Mother’s Dream Transformed onto Canvas. The book was published in 2017 and now serves as a guide for other parents of children with similar conditions based on what Sarah has learned — things such as how to train a talent, develop good character and instill emotion.

In addition to being diagnosed with autism, Ping Lian also has what is known as savant syndrome. Dr. Darold Treffert was a leading psychiatrist specialising in research on autism and savant syndrome who passed in 2020. He defined savant syndrome as, “a rare, but extraordinary, condition in which persons with serious mental disabilities, including autistic disorder, have some ‘island of genius’ which stands in marked, incongruous contrast to overall handicap. As many as one in ten persons with autistic disorder have such remarkable abilities in varying degrees.”1

Dr. Treffert also identified Ping Lian as a prodigious savant, which is a term reserved for those extraordinarily rare individuals where the special skill is so outstanding that it would be spectacular even if it were to occur in a non-impaired person. Ping Lian is also recognised alongside contemporaries such as American savant Kim Peek, who has an exceptional memory. Kim Peek was the inspiration for the character Raymond Babbit in the 1988 Film, Rain Man, starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman.

God has put people in Sarah’s life along the way to encourage and help her as she needs, at just the right time. Sarah calls these people angels. From being mentored by the man who consulted on the movie, Rain Man, to Dr. Rosa C. Martinez, a specialist in autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Martinez was ultimately the one who encouraged Sarah to take all of her numerous journals about Ping Lian’s progress and turn them into a book. She helped Sarah realise it was not only Ping Lian’s miraculous journey that was inspiring, but also Sarah’s unique methods in calling out the potential in her son, and bringing it into existence. In spite of all of his world-renowned achievements, one of Ping Lian and Sarah’s favourite socialisation and job training activities, (until the COVID-19 pandemic), was selling his artwork at his own exhibition stall at Sydney’s famous Rocks Market on the weekends. Sarah shared how the grassroots interaction has benefited Ping Lian’s social skills. He draws a crowd as they watch him work, fascinated by his talent and artistic process. Working with oil, watercolours, acrylic and ink, the crowds are often struck by the sense of whimsy and intricate detail. The focus in his process and cheerfulness in his artwork are captivating to watch. Sarah encourages anything that promotes positivity for Ping Lian, as she says “he does his best art when he is inspired.”

For Sarah, art has always been a means to an end for what she hopes Ping Lian will achieve. It’s a tool she uses to help him become the man she knows he can be. Art helps regulate his behaviour, as does the faith they both share. When he exhibits difficult behaviour, Sarah encourages him through the lens of faith. “I tell him, ‘Mummy forgives you and Jesus forgives you. You need to learn to forgive yourself.’” Both mother and son wear matching cross necklaces, a beautiful visualisation of the way faith binds the family.

Sarah’s faith has been constantly elevated through witnessing Ping Lian’s journey. People often ask her why she is so happy and she shared that she believes happiness is a choice. “Only God can make it happen,” Sarah said, a virulent gleam in her eye. As for any insurmountable odds life tries to throw her way? She answers with four words. “Art makes a way.”

Ping Lian with mum at the Rocks Market

Ping Lian at the Rocks Market

Juno. WIP. 2020