Soon Lai Wai born in 1970 in Penang. After study at the Saito Academy of Design, he began working for an overseas advertising company for five years before making the decision to become a full-time artist.

With the foundation of Chinese painting for seven years, Soon Lai Wai began combining his knowledge of Chinese oriental strokes and western painting style with oils and acrylics. From Chinese ink and brush-stroke techniques, he learnt to express his art in more abstract terms with the concept of thick, thin and disappearing lines, ink splashes as well as the broad sweeps of the brush to create suggestions of forms.

As a lover of nature, many of his paintings are inspired by the vibrant colours he sees in the lush Malaysian landscape, with its tropical flora and fauna. He eventually settled on painting the beautiful lotus flower as his main trademark.

In his opinion, the Lotus is the most beautiful flowers. The lotus is depicted in various colours, styles, sizes, and types in many of his paintings. “I chose the lotus as my identity as a painter, because not only do I really love this flower but I believe it has an International theme that resonates with all kinds of people. The lotus is depicted in so many culture and races, from Buddhism to Hinduism, in Chinese culture and Thai culture. While the depictions vary, the lotus is always there. My portrayal of the lotus is quite different from other artists in the sense that it is not a realistic depiction but an interpretation of many things.” Soon Lai Wai said.