Wow – what a good Kaamatan this month this has been? First last Saturday Stacy from Penampang *finally* grab the title of Akademi Fantasia winner after the previous 4 years saw all Sabah contestants grabbing runners-up only.
And on the same day a digital art piece titled “Huminodun” was sold by Christie’s auction house for US$38,045 (RM117K) in Hong Kong. If only the creator is a Kadazandusun it would’ve make a perfect celebration for us however kudos to the artist all the same.
A digital art piece called Huminodun by Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann was sold for more than RM100,000 at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong on Saturday.
The work is one of Yee’s “Kinabalu series” which explores the eroded spiritual power of a Kadazandusun woman and her shifting relationship to her land.
Huminodun is based on the Kadazandusun creation story where a woman created the earth and padi and thus created her community.
Yee said she was shocked to hear about her piece being sold for US$38,000 (RM117,000).
Here’s the artist Yee I-Lann, born and bred in KK.

Yee I-Lann was born in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia in 1971. In 1992 she graduated in visual arts at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, and later studied painting at Central St Martins School of Arts in London. Incorporating various media including photography, installation and video, her practice seeks connections between landscape, perception and cultural identity.
Here’s the marvelous work:

© Christie’s Images Ltd. 2008
More links:
Christie’s – Kinabalu Series: Huminodun
Yee I Lan Bio
Artist Interview
16 Responses
Kay Kastum
May 26th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Comment #1
i sure have missed a lot of stuff here..
massy
May 26th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Comment #2
waw
melbie
May 26th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Comment #3
That’s one great piece of work indeed! Especially with that doggie looking on … WOW!
ArMs
May 26th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Comment #4
cantik oh betul… another few paintings and she might be a millionaire…
sunsuron
May 26th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Comment #5
I felt a shiver instantly. Impressive!
jng
May 26th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Comment #6
I know the artist and actually she is a fiercely proud part kadazan
daxter
May 26th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Comment #7
Correction her grandma is Kadazan wat. Her father is sino-kadazan her mother is orang putih – her mother was my teacher before and iz still ketua at sekolah st simon in kk. Go Stacie go I-Lann show orang semenanjung how its done!
nimrodjo
May 28th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Comment #8
That picture for RM 100K over…now, that’s a fortune..
mrbadak
May 29th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Comment #9
jng – she is? ok then I take back my word, kan bagus if she use a kadazan name as her moniker as an artist hehe.
daxter – yeay! sabahans – buli bah kalau kita!
StuckS
June 4th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Comment #10
that is what we called art..
impressive
lionel
June 5th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Comment #11
Incredible! And look closely, Huminodun is pregnant.. very apt.
Murphy
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:34 am
Comment #12
u can c more of her work in exhibition at ums this week.
info: http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=38739
wonder if she would come too…
i-lann
September 13th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Comment #13
Hi MrBadak & friends,
Thanks for your interest in my work! Please do go see the full series still showing at UMS library in the computer section.
When you walk into the library main entrance, go thru the security gate thingy then head to the glass doors to the computer/media room on the left. The works are on the wall immediately to the left of this entrance.
Here’s the full artist statement for the Kinabalu Series. ‘Huminodun’ is the first of 3 images.
Artist Statement
“The ‘Kinabalu Series’ explores the eroded spiritual power of the Kadazandusun woman and her shifting relationship to her land. Mt Kinabalu is the only fixture in Sabah’s dramatically changing environment and the final resting place of ancestors. ‘Huminodun’ is in respect to the Kadazandusun creation story where woman created the earth and padi and thus cultivated her community. ‘Anak Negeri’ is my self portrait, family sitcom and museum diorama. As a Vision 2020 Malaysian, I try and find my place, balanced with an inheritance I have from my Kadazan grandmother, as the oil palm spreads and we, like the harvest and the landscape become homogenized. ‘Kopivosian’ is modern Sabah – a huge oil palm estate, a factory for Putrajaya. The ‘Kinabalu series’ is my lament for Sabah.”
Yup my grandmother Dorothea Lunjaim Bungal is from Nambazan. Yup I’m one of the many fiercely Sabahans living in KL stamping my fiercely Sabahan foot! Buli bah kalau kau!
Selamat Hari Malaysia ke 45!!!
cheers,
i-lann
mrbadak
September 15th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Comment #14
Hi i-lann! Thx for dropping by my blog. Proud to know that you’ve a strong Sabahan root!
hunterj@ christmas gifts
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 am
Comment #15
Very nice work. I missed al ot of stuff until I went back and read the comments. The dog and Huminodun being pregnant. Would love to see the next ones as well.
Angie
January 18th, 2010 at 5:20 am
Comment #16
A great start and high hopes for the future, watching for whats next on the horizon