Originally from Singapore and now based in New York, my painting process begins with abstract color and gesture that I merge with imagery from my subconscious thoughts and dreams. Painted with rapid haste and desperation, my paintings delve deep into the psyche of myself as a recent immigrant. The nostalgia of living and growing up in Singapore would flashback during my moments of reflection while painting. Homeland faded, time dilated, and places I thought I knew blended with the landscape I now find myself in – there are glimpses of old kampongs, housing flats long gone, and iconic shophouses. The creatures embedded within the landscape evoke mythic themes of chaos, apocalypse, and rebirth, referencing Eastern and Western tales. Combined, these paintings describe the absurdity and frustration at the horrors facing the world today such as climate disasters, xenophobia, and rise of autocracy. Yet, the vibrant colors are a silver lining and longing for hope of a kinder and more beautiful world.

Eventually, the memories and imagery of home disappeared. When my painting pace mellowed I found myself turning to a slower process of monotypes and the history of Brooklyn where I live for inspiration and solace. Titled “In The Lost City”, the ghostly forms in my monotypes conjure images and the art deco of places and buildings long gone in New York City. “Lost” conveys multiple meanings – one where parts of the city was lost to time, another of the ruminative nature of a wanderer searching for solace amidst the city, and finally – perhaps the loss of something greater on a collective whole such as our humanity.