Tell us about your background and how you began painting. 

I’ve always enjoyed arts and craft but decided to take up painting more seriously after doing a Fine Arts Summer Course at the Slade, in London. I had been working as a web developer for a few years, and had saved up to take a working holiday in the UK which was open to Malaysians as part of the Commonwealth countries.

Where do you work now and how does this influence your work?  

I am based in Singapore. Although within a city setting there are lots of trees, birds and tropical plants to observe when you take time to look around, you can find pockets of nature as inspiration. 

What attracts you to exploring natural elements and shapes of the environment in your work? And what are you seeking when you investigate? 

I am just drawn to looking closely and abstracting textured surfaces and the subtle colour variations in natural forms and unique organic patterns. I am also interested in the changes that occur when they are weathered by the elements like water, wind and the sun.  All of which can nurture growth or lead to destructive effects worsened by extreme climate changes. So just an overall appreciation of nature, awareness of our surroundings and the importance of conserving the environment.

Tell us about your most recent works in acrylic and papier mâché - is there a moment when you are out in nature and you ‘see’ these works, or do they evolve as you create them?

On walks I would absorb the landscape views or take macro photos to frame what I see. Sometimes I sketch them on paper or trace the outlines digitally. However in my artwork it’s more of an abstract essence as the paintings are not representational.

So the works do evolve as I am making them. The action of painting itself is quite an organic process and I just start and see where it goes, each mark leading onto another and perhaps the collected thoughts imbue the works as they are being made. 

Can you talk us through your creative process - the inception and creative process of creating such a work as Flow Freely (2021) for example?

Firstly, I decided on a rough wave like form as the base. I often use papier mâché in an effort to reuse junk paper and create art in a more sustainable way. I had also been reading about ghost nets and seen a photo of a turtle trapped in floating garbage and thinking that marine life should be able to flow freely in their natural environment.

The shape starts from cardboard and layers of glued paper to make the surface which is gesso prepped for paint when dry. I choose the blue palette obviously for the water element and wanted it to move from a darker depth to lighter hues and the white strokes to also reflect wavy lines with drips and movement. 

There are strings threaded through holes made in the piece and wrapped over the edges. I realise it is quite hard to see however this then relates to the discarded nets that drift in the water and may not be visible to the marine life that get trapped in them.

The process of painting with liquid acrylics and watching It flow and pool on the work and sometimes waiting till the next day to see the results is also like a slow process of water stains drying on surfaces leaving its mark. The slight discolouration of brown and purple add contrast while depicting a break in the blue ocean due to oil spills and pollution.

The overall effect is more to evoke an atmosphere in the artpiece and a point of reflection if observed closely.

Flow Freely (2021) below

Your ARTefact trail is a rich, multi-layered experiential project, incorporating other dimensions into your work - what was it like incorporating this into your work?

It is a great way to enhance an artwork but it certainly takes more effort to put all the different components together, to fit the AR animated digital art to the physical painted pieces. Imagining the layers to reveal insights behind the work through movement, text and sounds. Hopefully engage the viewer beyond a static piece and take them on an adventure.

Making it is also a series of little trips as while working on the outlines it would spark an idea or memory here or there so I included these as it came along and had enough background material from recollections of past travels.  Exploring facets of expression, visual references, the creative process and influences from nature to music and books all go into the work.