Yong Mun Sen (1896–1962) was one of the earliest modern artists in Malaysia. Born in Kuching, Sarawak, he was later sent to Dabu county in Guangdong Province, China, to study Chinese ink painting and calligraphy. Upon his return to British Malaya, he spent a few years travelling between Singapore and Penang. In Penang, he opened what was likely the first photo studio on the island, Tai Koon Art Studio on Chulia Street, and founded one of the island’s earliest art societies, the Penang Chinese Art Club. Later, in Singapore, he had a hand in founding the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1938. He has come to be known mostly for his plein-air watercolour paintings of the scenic beauty and charm of Penang’s coastal life. Over the years, he has been honoured with a few retrospective exhibitions in the Penang State Art Museum and Gallery and the National Gallery of Malaysia.