2023
Cactus wood, Malva bark, banana fibre
Created and photographed in the Atacama Desert, Calama (CL) during my residency with La Wayaka Current.
Making use of the natural holes in the wood (which resembled pores), fibre was woven in to give the appearance of hair. The repetitive action of laying out the fibre, twisting and then planting them in the holes was therapeutic and reminiscent of domestic rituals. The addition of braids is an inclination each time I see fibre, plants or hair; a reminder of the morning ritual of my childhood during which my mother braided my hair for school. The fifth image shows the work from the back; the fibre is attached using the same method I use for doll wigs.
During the visit to Altiplano, we saw huge cactuses from which little cactuses grew. They presented to me the image of a mother, protective with the spikes, yet resistant and provisional in the tough environment. This theme of motherhood and my relationship with my mother is something I have been exploring in my work.
I wanted to create a sculpture that could be a part of the environment, yet made you pause for a look; an arrangement of naturally occurring objects hinting at the intervention of human hands. For this reason, I sourced most materials from the garden of the residence and sought the sculpture from their characteristics; bark was stripped from the Malva plant and braided into the holes of the found cactus wood.
December 2020
Hen’s eggshell, polymer clay, crocheted cotton gima, linen sliver, metallic thread, silk thread, faux pearl embellishment, metal wire, wood base
(Sculpted clay figure of baby Ne Zha by PAYNK)
130mmL x 90mmW x 160mmH
SOLD
According to the legend, Ne Zha, the Third Lotus Prince and a famous mythological figure in Chinese folklore was born after his mother carried him for 3½ years in her womb. He was born in a ball of flesh, which was split open by his father Li Jing revealing not an infant but a boy. This artwork captures him in possibly his only moment of peace, before he becomes the deity leading the dramatic life depicted in stories.
Inspired by Fabergé eggs, this piece was created from a hen’s eggshell, adorned with crocheted and needlework lace. Often used to symbolise birth, an eggshell is a protection for what lies within, yet also used as a metaphor for fragility. The duo-identity of this motif makes one question the ‘protection’ it really provides; is it a physical strength, or a psychological barrier one has to cross to break something so precious?
October 2020
Crocheted cotton thread
In Singapore where the trees and bushes are usually immaculately manicured, the lockdown was an opportunity for them to grow wild. Plants creep over and become part of this mask, which has since become a symbol for the time period of the COVID-19 pandemic; an interpretation of the growth we were all made to go through.
Top photo by Clarence Aw
This mask was featured on OOH ads for the National Arts Council Singapore’s ‘The Arts Can Inspire Your Everyday’ campaign in 2023.
190mmH x 360mmC (around widest point)
2020
Ceramic pitcher (found), Wood stump, Japanese silk, Indian silk washi, Ramie, Pure flax, Thai cotton, Bhutan silk
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From the 'Tamashii' ('spirit' in Japanese) series, where I attempt to capture the abstract essence of a found object, in the belief that all objects harbour a soul.
What happens to broken objects that lose their functionality, even though they evoke certain sentiments in us? Finding an affinity with objects stuck in the limbo of 'useless' yet 'too precious to throw', I give them a second life by imagining the spirit that lives within them escaping from within; creeping out over the structure as wild nature would envelope a derelict over time.
This pitcher was bought by S in Rakutogama (樂久登窯), a cafe + gallery located in Awaji Island (淡路島) in Hyogo, Japan. Used as a coffee cup, it met its demise when it was hit by a moving cable.
The pitcher had a carefully shaped spout, and perfect vertical lines running down around its pot-belly. Like its sea-green and brown glaze, I felt this one to be a calm, grounded spirit.
The heart silently inhabits the pitcher while the accompanying plants engulf it, pushing their way through cracks and creeping across the surface, reminiscent of those I have observed overtaking urban structures left abandoned.
The wood stump was bought from KITOKURAS, a wood specialist based in Kagawa, Japan.
300mmH
2020
Glass cup (found), Rayon-blend Washi yarn, Nylon yarn, Quilting thread, Wire
Unavailable
From the 'Tamashii' ('spirit' in Japanese) series, where I attempt to capture the abstract essence of a found object, in the belief that all objects harbour a soul.
What happens to broken objects that lose their functionality, even though they evoke certain sentiments in us? Finding an affinity with objects stuck in the limbo of 'useless' yet 'too precious to throw', I give them a second life by imagining the spirit that lives within them escaping from within; creeping out over the structure as wild nature would envelope a derelict over time.
This cup had been purchased from the Red House Theatre in Ximending 西門町, Taipei (Taiwan), greatly used and loved by owner, K. He gave it up to me after its handle broke off and became unusable.
Upon encountering this cup, I fell in love with it’s beautiful scalloped top edge and curved walls. Because it is transparent and smooth on the outside, the spirit of this small cup was a subtle, elusive one.
To coax it out, I put a light in the cup and shone it in the darkness; the refraction was astoundingly beautiful, casting a radially symmetrical shadow.
Even though I saw no colour, I felt a multi-coloured yet subdued yarn would represent the colours of refracted light well. Inspired by the symmetrical shadows, I created a simple lace reminiscent of the Phallus Indusiatus. The curved glass handle was a perfect invisible skeleton in its lattice shell peeking out of the cup, while the hole it left in its body decided its fate as a hanging piece.
The transparent yarn makes this piece a seemingly silent one; yet when faced with a light, a sinewy shadow is cast from the lace, much like the understated cup it inhabits.
2021
Silver foil wrapper, felt, crocheted metallic polyester thread
11”W x 14”H
‘London Choco Roll’ is a roll cake snack well-known in Singapore and Malaysia. While distinctively London icons adorn its cover which claims to bring you a ‘Taste of London’, the Malaysian-made roll cake contains no actual chocolate.
The idea of London representing the ‘upper-class’ still swirls in the undercurrents of post-colonial Singapore. Is this presence of intricate lace- a symbol of wealth back in the day- enough of a masquerade for the artificial flavours sheathed in its confident shell?
The ostentatiously golden frame was acquired from a photography studio in Singapore specialising in graduation family portraits*; how else would guests of the home acknowledge the superior academic genes in the family?
*It is common practice to have family photographs framed and displayed in an Asian home, especially (or almost exclusively) when there are graduates in the family. The graduates will don the dress of their highest achievement (academically or of civil service).
250mmW x 150mmH x 150mmD
2020
Ceramic pot (found), Uruguayan Merino wool / Baby alpaca, Pure new wool, Pure flax, Bhutan silk
Contact for Pricelist
From the 'Tamashii' ('spirit' in Japanese) series, where I attempt to capture the abstract essence of a found object, in the belief that all objects harbour a soul.
What happens to broken objects that lose their functionality, even though they evoke certain sentiments in us? Finding an affinity with objects stuck in the limbo of 'useless' yet 'too precious to throw', I give them a second life by imagining the spirit that lives within them escaping from within; creeping out over the structure as wild nature would envelope a derelict over time.
This small teapot in the shape of a bell pepper was found in PukuPuku Kichijoji, Tokyo. Due to a crack in the lid that had split it into 2, it was left in the discount corner.
A sandalled foot toes its way out of the top of the pot, twisting as it goes along like an odd-shaped gourd. The 2 halves of the lid is embedded in the piece along the way, and wild weeds continue to find its way out of the pot. A lively piece inspired by the reckless nature of wild cactuses and creepers I have observed.
