Royal support for 'Talking to the Stars'

 

The ‘Talking to the Stars’ charity art exhibition that features sketches by savant autistic artist, Yap Hanzhen, was recently launched by Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Tun Aminah Binti Sultan Ibrahim, in a simply ceremony.

 

YAM Tunku Tun Aminah [Right]
admiring the sketch presented
her by Yap Hanzhen

Our Johor Princess, Tunku Aminah – as she is fondly called – took time off from her busy schedule to grace the exhibition held at YSpace Gallery, open from now till December 4, 2023.

 

In the days ahead of the official events planned to celebrate the Johor Sultan’s birthday, it was indeed a busy time for members of the Johor Royal Family so Tunku Aminah’s time with ‘Talking to the Stars’ was truly meaningful and memorable.

 

An initiative by Yan Hui Qun, founder of YSpace, the art exhibition dubbed, ‘Talking to the Stars’ highlights the special abilities of ‘Star Children,’ an affectionate name used to describe children with autism.

 

Data from the Health Ministry in Malaysia showed that the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was 1.6 in 1,000. Studies have shown that the number of ASD-diagnosed children increased by five percent from 562 in 2020 to 589 in 2021.

 

Star Children cared for by Hope Garden Johor
Bahru, who were at the event

While symptoms of ASD among children are neurologically based, they may differ depending on age, language level and cognitive abilities.

 

Children with ASD may have regression in language or social skills, typically when they were aged 18 to 24 months, and some 30 percent of such children may also have intellectual disabilities.

 

The Hope Garden Society, a registered charity adopted by the Kiwanis Club of Johor Jaya, aims to help improve the quality of life of intellectually disabled ‘Star’ youngsters diagnosed with autism and mild mental retardation.

 

Tunku Aminah being briefed by Yvonne Yap
about the work of Hope Garden Johor Bahru

For children aged three to six, Hope Garden aims to provide early intervention, special education and sensory integration exercises to maximise their potential and ability.

 

For children aged seven to 12, in addition to special education and sensory integration exercises, they aim to provide pre-vocational skills for the children to learn basic skills in creating useful handicrafts.

 

For intellectually disabled young adults, Hope Garden aims to provide training in vocational skills so that they may lead more independent lives.

 

The ‘Talking to the Stars’ exhibition features drawings by savant autistic artist, Yap Hanzhen, whose skills in sketching will be an inspiration to Star Children cared for by Hope Garden, Johor Bahru.

 

Yap Yew Peng and Yvonne, the parents of
savant autistic artist, Yap Hanzhen

I had the privilege to get to know young Hanzhen some 12 years ago when his parents shared with me, interesting details about how they discovered his gift in drawing.

 

My early encounter with the Yap family was shared in a piece dubbed, Teen Prodigy, published in October 2011.

 

Since that meet-up with Yap Yew Peng and Yvonne Yap, I had other opportunities to join them and their two sons at events where Hanzhen’s artwork were showcased.

 

After my stories on Hanzhen, JB’s teenage art savant (January 2014) and JB’s gifted special artist (October 2014) were published, I was pleasantly surprised when Yvonne told me that Hanzhen had prepared, A sketch for me (December 2014).

 

Yvonne Yap showing details on drawing
to Tunku Aminah
 

Meanwhile, Hanzhen’s art was widely accepted and appreciated both locally and abroad through exhibitions and commissioned work.

 

I recall that it was our conversation in 2011 where I suggested to Yap and Yvonne to challenge Hanzhen to draw our heritage buildings.

 

And then in 2015, I was more than pleased to join an event hosted in the Doubletree by Hilton Johor Bahru where Hanzhen launched his book filled with sketches of our heritage buildings titled, My city, my heritage.

 

Tunku Aminah admiring the 
drawings by Yap Hanzhen

Next to his parents, I was probably the other proudest person to see Hanzhen’s artwork displayed throughout the Doubletree by Hilton Johor Bahru since the hotel opened in 2014.

 

I share their pride and joy in observing how Hanzhen started with drawing single buildings with much detail and accuracy, and then progressing to drawing impressive city skylines that comprised clusters of buildings!

 

In 2016, I had the pleasure to publish a piece in Life & Times, a section of The New Straits Times with nationwide distribution, about Hanzhen and his gift in drawing titled, From caterpillar to butterfly.

 

By then he was already aged 17 and just like typical teenagers, his parents told me that Hanzhen had his good days as well as his share of bad days.

 

Yap Hanzhen started drawing again
on 18 November 2023

So when I invited Hanzhen and his parents, along with all the people featured in Book One, to my book launch event on 15 July 2017, I was more than pleased that he felt well enough to attend.

 

It was important to me that he could be part of this event because I had documented Hanzhen under Portraits, among the people in Johor who have impacted our lives.

 

With the support of readers who appreciate My Johor Stories, on the first week My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage, was launched, this book went to the Number One spot in the MPH Non-Fiction Bestsellers list.

 

This book stayed on the Bestsellers list for consecutive weeks and months, and by end December, my book was counted among the Best of MPH in 2017.

 

It was good that Yap Hanzhen
was inspired to start drawing again 

The ‘Talking to the Stars’ event was a good time to meet with Yap and Yvonne again and when I saw familiar sketches from Hanzhen’s show in 2011 titled, ‘Of Obedience, Solitude and Beauty,’ I could not help having flashbacks to some 12 years ago.

 

The recent two uncertain years of the global pandemic and resulting lockdowns did a great deal to damage our physical and emotional health, and I believe it was probably more difficult for Star Children to cope with the many challenges.

 

Yap agreed with me and confided that their family even took up a hobby in planting and growing their own vegetables at home, a healthy pursuit which developed into a real passion to do more to provide for their own consumption.

 

He also said that Hanzhen was not inspired to do any drawing in recent years and it was a very difficult time for the young man until recently when the ‘Talking to the Stars’ project was discussed.

 

Tunku Aminah adding her signature onto
the globe with a drawing by Yap Hanzhen

Staying close to the theme of ‘Stars’ Hui Qun suggested to create a giant globe made of paper mache to represent a big star in our universe and suggested to Yap and Yvonne to let Hanzhen see and feel if he was ready to draw on this globe of a ‘star.’

 

So it was a momentous day for the Yap family on November 18, 2023 when Hanzhen started to seriously draw again and he completed a sketch of the side view of a tiger’s head on the globe with his signature above it.

 

After this drawing was done, the Yap’s presented the globe as a gift to Hui Qun who decided to use it as a gimmick for Tunku Aminah to add in her autograph next to that of Hanzhen’s and his sketch.

 

Close-up: Tunku Aminah signing on the
globe with a drawing by Yap Hanzhen

As Tunku Aminah signed her name on the globe, this was witnessed by Hui Qun, Yvonne and Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor, Hishamuddin Abdul Rahim.

 

The Yap’s also presented Tunku Aminah with a framed sketch by Hanzhen that featured minute details on a minaret in a section of the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque.

 

Hui Qun agreed with me that Tunku Aminah may read more about Hanzhen and his special gift in drawing from the story documented in my 2017 MPH Non-Fiction Bestseller, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage.

 

Thank you, Tunku Aminah for gracing
the 'Talking to the Stars' event at YSpace

YSpace carries a stock of My Johor Stories books in their YStore so we decided to present Tunku Aminah with the trilogy of My Johor Stories, made up of two more books, My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People and My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, for her reading pleasure.

 

The ‘Talking to the Stars’ art exhibition was jointly organised by Hanzhen Gallery, YSpace and Recreation, supported by Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor and Hope Garden and co-sponsored by Kkum Memories, Lorong 32, Above Production, Champs x Rueys, Andy Photographer and Zion Emcee.

 

Hope Garden is located at No. 1 Jalan Bakawali 6, Taman Johor Jaya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor. School hours from 8.45am to 11.45am and from 1.45pm to 4.45pm, from Monday to Friday.

 

Donations are welcome by bank transfer or cheques made in favour of Persatuan Kebajikan Sinar Harapan, Johor Bahru, Johor, or online transfer to UOB Bank Account No. 736 3001 576. Please send bank-in slips by WhatsApp to Tel: 6010 – 829 8298 or 6019 – 675 7919.

 

Photo Credits: Courtesy of YSpace, the Yap family and my own photos.

 

The trilogy of My Johor Stories
books is available at YSpace

Note: My Johor Stories books are available from MPH bookstores nationwide and online from mphonline.

 

While all the MPH bookstores here are now closed, two (2) outlets in Johor Bahru carry a small stock of hardcover and softcover versions of My Johor Stories available from:

 

1] YSpace, located at No. 2 Jalan Yahya Awal, 80100 Johor Baru, Johor. Open 11am to 7pm. Closed on Thursday.

 

2] Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation or JARO, at No. 18 Jalan Sungai Chat, Sri Gelam, 80100 Johor Baru, Johor. Open from 8.30am to 4.30pm. Closed on Friday and Saturday. Tel: +607 – 227 5314.