One glance at his wares at Youni market in Selangor’s Subang Parade makes this evident – dogs, cats, elephants, flowers and much more are vibrantly splashed on umbrellas, t-shirts and tote bags.

Indeed, his artwork mostly consists of animals, for good reason: Li is an avid animal lover and is particularly passionate about wildlife conservation.

Through his art, he hopes to raise awareness of the high extinction rates of species such as eagles, orangutans, tigers and others, from human activities such as deforestation and hunting.

If this wasn’t impressive enough, consider the fact that Li is only 18 and is autistic.

Speaking with FMT in Subang Jaya recently, his mother, Lim Mei Yek, said she and her husband hadn’t realised anything out of the ordinary when their baby boy was born.

It was only as he grew up that she realised he had a tendency to avoid eye contact. He didn’t start to talk until he was around age five, which was when he was diagnosed with autism.

As for his art, “he didn’t immediately show a talent for drawing; he actually drew like a five-year-old would,” Lim, 46, said with a laugh.

A younger painting companion made her notice Li’s knack for mimicking others’ artwork to a striking degree. Realising his potential, Lim found him an art teacher with whom he connected well.

“The way she teaches him is to let him finish his painting first, and she will refine it for him after while he watches intently and learns,” she explained.

Her son is under this instructor’s tutelage to this day.

Art, animals, acting

Li was born in Kuching, where he and his family currently reside. When he was three, his father’s work prompted them to move to Hangzhou, China, where his parents faced challenges in finding a suitable primary school for their son.

Consequently, Li ended up being homeschooled from ages six to eight.

Soon after, the family moved back to Sarawak, where Li attended a school with a class dedicated to children with special needs. He spent three months there before successfully passing his assessment to join

Over the years, Lim has consistently nurtured and encouraged her son to brush up – pun intended – on his skills.

In 2019, Kelvin’s paintings of killer whales and turtles were printed on tote bags and sold for a fundraising project, the proceeds of which were channelled to various charities.

This would mark the first time Li’s art was printed on products, but it clearly wouldn’t be the last. From then, he began taking part in NGO events and community fairs in Sarawak, and later in the Klang Valley.

“During the pandemic, Kelvin had nothing to do at home and he did over 70 paintings during lockdown,” Lim shared.

So the supportive mum, who is the president of the Kuching Association of Talent Development and Welfare of Special Needs, organised an exhibition to showcase his work, too.

Lim further helped set up byKelvinLi, a brand and online platform to promote their son’s artwork featured on umbrellas, cushion covers, bags, aprons, scarves, and t-shirts.

And you might be surprised to learn that Li has even made his foray into the world of acting and entertainment, specifically with a role on a telemovie funded by TV Sarawak. Titled “The Acceptance”, it is partially inspired by Li’s story – and even stars the artist himself!

At the Youni market recently, Li, listening in on the conversation between his mum and FMT, perked up in interest when the topic of animals came about, and began sharing about his favourite animal, the panda.

“This is a picture of Yaya that was loaned to the United States and recently returned to China,” he said, showing FMT a photo of the panda on his tablet. “Sadly, her friend Lele died back in February before the trip home.”

Li also confided that he used to have pets like fishes and hamsters but they died over the years, which is why he has opted not to care for any at the moment.

“I really wanted to have a red panda pet, but they are endangered and legally protected, so I’ll just admire them from afar in zoos,” he added with a smile.

Follow Kelvin Li on Facebook or visit his official website here to learn more about his artwork.