Born to a literati family in Shanghai, China, Huang Yao (1914-1987) received his formative education from his father in classical literati traditions and calligraphy, particularly in the archaic scripts of oracle bone and bronze inscription. In the 1930s, he gained recognition as a talented cartoonist for creating the comic character “Niu Bi Zi” which was widely used as an educational resource in schools. Huang travelled to Southeast Asia after the end of World War II in 1945, and resided in different countries before settling permanently in Malaysia in 1956. He worked primarily as an art educator until his retirement in 1973. A prolific artist, he had held 23 solo and group exhibitions and six retrospective exhibitions.On the left of the painting is a two-word inscription “becoming a vessel”, which as a phrase means “becoming useful”, an advice usually given to children. Illustrating the phrase is a woman kneeling on a mat, working on a vessel. This is likely a scene Huang would have encountered during one of his many trips around Southeast Asia.
