Light and Shadow oil on canvas 30 x30 in

“…it is always good to make time to contemplate on and
celebrate life – art gives you that satisfaction.”

My musings on canvas offer my personal take on chosen
subjects, focusing mainly on cityscapes. I draw inspiration
from masters such as Monet, Turner and Van Gogh. The
uncanny way by which light infuses drama into otherwise
ordinary sights is one particular fascination for me.

Working primarily with oil and acrylic, I pick out key elements
and focus on the mood evoked by my impression of the
subject. Then, I let myself loose in the process of capturing
this feeling.

Art has given me a very fulfilling avenue for self-expression.  
We sometimes go about life in such a frenetic pace that
immersing yourself in art helps you pause and take things
in perspective.  We all have practical concerns to work out in
our lives but it is always good to make time to contemplate
on and celebrate life – art gives you that satisfaction.

Architecture and its ability to literally make concrete an idea,
philosophy or practice inspired me to do this piece.  I
wanted to represent the massive influence of and structure
behind our faith against the finer nuances of actually living
by what you believe in.

The human mind processes faith not so much by what it
knows but by what it sees, feels and experiences.  In the
same vein, I painted this subject based on how I felt about
it: awe and calm. The overall mood took precedence over
rules and proportion, loose strokes and blurred lines over
clarity.

Dialogue of colors oil on canvas 24 x 24 in

"Painting is about the contrast between inner and outer
world, exploring the delicate balance that we all have
within our own inner and outer worlds."


Doreen is involved in conducting soft skills workshops such
as customer service,
creative thinking skills, communication, leadership,
facilitation skills etc.

Having done some watercolours since secondary school
days, Doreen decided to
pursue this interest again when she complete her MBA in
2003. She tried all mediums and has since been doing oil
paintings focusing on colours with themes stretching
beyond all genres.

Doreen's signature style is her creative usage of abstractly
beauty color patches. Artists like Pierre Bonnard inspires
her with his use of colours while Botero with his unique
creation of voluptuous form and the contrast in the size of
the subject that he paints.

Her creative process involves sketching her subject, then
evaluating what kind of atmosphere or goal she would like
to achieve, for example, She would like to make the object
realistic and yet it contains the elements of abstraction
within it. At the same time, create space within the painting
to make it atmospheric, therefore achieving an ambient or
mood in the painting.

Currently, Doreen is working on a series of Internal &
External spaces, with a setting that is indoors and an
outdoor , both within a painting. This painting is about the
contrast between inner and outer world, exploring the
delicate balance that we all have within our own inner and
outer worlds.

In the near future, Doreen aims to have her own exhibition
both in Singapore and overseas, also to have a cultural
exchange with artists from overseas and learn from them
about their own creative process and their source of
inspiration in life.

Purple Hyacinths oil with painting knife on canvas 24 x 20 in

“Art stimulates people’s mind and evokes the inner
feeling.”

Art is like a media channel, a channel which allows me to
explore and express my innermost feelings and ideas. Art
allows me to express my ideas with no restriction and
boundaries. It could be something I wanted to share or even
some thoughts that I may not aware of.

As people said, a picture speaks a thousand words. I
always amazed how these thousand words being
transformed into a picture. It stimulates people’s mind and
evokes the inner feeling. I see art existed in everywhere and
in any form, from the simple sun ray passing through the
window to the fireworks in the sky, all full of surprise,
fascinating and enjoyable.

I learned to be more focus and understand the importance
of pleasing myself and enjoy life from the simplest stuff. I
enjoy art as part of my lifestyle and hope to share the beauty
of arts to more people in the future.

The setting of the flowers and vases inspired me to create
this piece.The random arrangement of the purple hyacinths
creates a calm and relax feeling. Imagine a quite and lazy
afternoon, perfect to laze around, read a book and enjoy a
cup of jasmine tea. A beautiful view that melts away the
stress and tiredness. A simple way to enjoy and appreciate
life.

To capture the atmosphere, I emphasize on the lights and
form and minimize the detail. I retained the original color
theme and simplify with color blocks. The palate knife
creates a strong, sharp and vibrant effect which delivers my
intention perfectly.

Still life with skull and lamp oil and acrylic on canvas 30 x 30 in

"It is a process where one learns to see beauty in his
surroundings and create artworks that replicate that
beauty, which can be enjoyed by many."

Grace is Singaporean and working as a lecturer in a local
Polytechnic where her job involves carrying out both
teaching and research in the area of IT and media
technologies.

Presently, Grace paints mainly in oil and acrylics medium.
She thinks that art is more than just applying the right
techniques with the paintbrushes.  It is a process where
one learns to see beauty in his surroundings and create
artworks that replicate that beauty, which can be enjoyed by
many. She thinks that we all created art since we were
children. The doodling, mindless sketching that we do
during boring lessons were all some form of art. She feels
that there are no fix rules in defining what art is but whatever
intrigues our sense of beauty and wonders can be called art.

Grace loves art works by expressionists like Van Gogh,
Edvard Munch etc.  Thus the reason behind the enjoyment
of creating art that depicts not objective reality but the
subjective emotions aroused by the objects or experience.
She is also inspired by various artists in My Art Place and
explains that it is mind-opening to see the different
ways they interpret the same object that we all paint.

Grace contributes her creative process through reading
extensively as it helps her to think out of the box. At the
same time, she finds simple observations of the
environment in everyday life, helps her to focus and see
things that she would miss otherwise. She is now working
on a series of paintings of old architectures in China. She
aspires to continue to grow as an artist, always seeking
truth and beauty.

Take a break oil on canvas 24 x 30 in

“…has in some way trained me not just rushing to
complete a task but enjoy the process of exploring and
discovery while doing it.”

Art is to be shared and appreciated but yet it is individual
and personal. Art can be interpreted in so many ways as
there is no right or wrong, good or bad. The value depends
on the view point of the observer.

I have always been captivated by the ‘realness’ of paintings
and sculptures, at the same time amazed with the vast
variety of ideas being displayed or expressed. I always wish
that I could do it myself.

Art gallery has always been one of my favourite places of
interest whenever I travel though I may not have much
knowledge to appreciate it, but just like to look at them,
enjoy the visual stimulation from so many different kinds of
presentations.

As being trained with a scientific background, art gives me a
balance in life. Painting encourages me to move away from
my rigid, technical, logical, rational mind set. Painting has in
some way trained me not just rushing to complete a task
but enjoy the process of exploring and discovery while doing
it. Though at times it could be frustrating as not getting the
end results that I imagine it to be, yet I am still hanging on,
waiting for a day that I will get a breakthrough in the creative
and artistic side of me.

I am a people person. I like to observe how other people live
their life. The painting was based on a photograph that I had
taken during my trip to Siem Reap Tonla Sap. The lighting is
just great viewing the kids from above. I wanted to show
how those kids who earn their living by begging from a
small bucket under the sun taking a break under the
shade.    

Landscape oil on canvas 20 x 24 in

"Regardless of theme and style, I always strive to be
sincere and honest in my art."

An IT business analyst with his signature expressive
strokes and luminous colors in his paintings. James
started his art learning in 2004 with a strong “desire” to be a
professional artist at that point of time. James had spent
one year in exploring watercolor before he turned to oil
painting.  To improve his knowledge, James made some
thorough study of various masters with Pablo Picasso as
his focus for the time being.

Regardless of theme and style, James always strive to be
sincere and honest in his art. How to capture his feeling
when he paints has been the greatest challenge for him all
along.

James is now working on a series of landscape, which
emphasis on the compositional arrangement of shapes,
colors and space. His long term goal is to own a studio
cum art cafe.

Creation Oil on canvas 36 x 24 in

“Open-minded provides a room for improvement.”

I enjoy the fun of art making while letting my imagination
runs during the creating process.

I start learning fine art is when I took up a 3 months course
at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts a few years ago to learn
painting. Since then, I have been painting for five years at My
Art Space.I prefer to use oil and acrylic. The person who
influenced me is Yayoyi Kusama, a Japanese art critic and
poet. Her dots obsession let me realized that a simple
shape can be a beautiful design on paint and object.

My inspiration comes mainly from clothing in fashion
magazine. I love patterns thus I create my paintings by
adding patterns on to it and turn them to a pieces of fabric-
like paintings. I like to use bright color. As I hope that when
people see my painting, they will feel happy and bring them
sweetness. “Always look on the bright side of life” is the
positive message I want to covey.

I consider my work as modern art which result from my drive
to absorb the legacy of the past and to fashion language out
of it through which new and personal insights can be
conveyed. I personally feel that search within oneself is an
intimate and individual experience.

“Keep an open mind towards different stimulation”. Open-
minded provides a room for improvement. During the
process of learning also let me pay more attention to my
inner qualities.

The inspiration of my painting comes from the Lotus
photos. Then I created a series of three paintings named
“Lotus Life”. Each has different themes. The exhibiting
painting, “Creation”, is my last creation among the three
paintings. I chose Lotus as my subject because I feel that a
person’s life in full bloom is beautiful, but short-lived. In
these modern times, we are caught up with pursuing the
prefect life but tend to forgot about cultivating our inner
character.

Taranka oil on canvas 30 x 40 in

“… you are able to notice plenty of beautiful things
around, which you are not aware of before”

Physicist from Ukraine who had lived in different countries
for the last eight years, Kateryna is very much inspired by
Asian culture and was urged by her inner call to release all
these inspiration through her paint brush.

An adventurous artist, Kateryna works in watercolor, oil and
acrylic. She believes that imagination will develop together
with painting skills. Through art training, you are able to
notice plenty of beautiful things around, which you are not
aware of before.

Kateryna is very keen to capture the real life scenes of the
place she had stayed. Her trip back home recently had
given her a lot of interesting picks from the Ukrainian way of
life to share with people here. One of her latest creation is
an oil painting of dried salted fish (Ukrainians call it
“taranka”) from Ukrainian market. Kateryna is recently
focusing on trying different techniques of oil, acrylic and
combination of different genres.

Girl in the fish bowl oil on canvas 24 x 24 in

"... i believe it is important to reflect upon what i see, read
or hear from life experiences and thing happening around
the world politically..."

Usually the images I develop reflect something true of
myself and the state of mind I was going. This piece is a lot
about that. I’ve always been attracted to mystic creatures
and fishes. My work involves a lot of symbolism through
objects.

A period of time after I finished the painting, an artist asked
me this question and I couldn’t answer it. (I was probably
trying to escape from having to analyze what I went through.
Or maybe I hated having to explain or bullshit a thousand
words just to tell what was going on in a painting.) When I
first had the picture in my mind, I wasn’t sure what I was
trying to convey. I felt strongly about the image but knew
subconsciously it was based on life experiences I was
going through. Some objects in this painting represent a
sense of imprisonment, and the mysteries of God and
death.

Now that those times I gone through were over, I realize the
expressions in the painting partly came from my own desire
to move on in my life. At the same time, a close aunt and
uncle were going through the mental torture of a pending
death that they knew were inevitable for cancer patients;
their bodies trapped in the advanced stages of invasive
cells that spread like an alien invading from the insides.  
Destiny, basically...any of us knew …is inevitable.

Obviously I was using thick strokes of oils. I supposed my
style was kind of masculine which helped in emphasizing
how I felt.

This piece often reminds me not to just depict my world -
that I should open up to painting subjects relevant to the
happenings around the world. They exist in such a safe
distance from us that it is easy to take for granted our way of
life. I've been thinking of how to illustrate them but have yet
found a subtle yet powerful way to do it.

Old Shanghai oil on canvas 24 x 20 in

"...art... is in  the eye of the beholder”

art is personal.

it's seeing an art piece that catches one's attention
personally. it cannot be explained logically how a painting
might evoke certain emotions and memories.

we all have different concepts to art and the beauty of it,
subjective and personal.

succintly, art..... is in the eye of the beholder.

Still life with skull and statue oil on canvas 24 x 30 in

“God is the greatest artist one could imagine ... he has
created people so that someone could actually
appreciate his creations. As an artist, I appreciate the
beauty of our world and express my gratitude through my
works.”


I’ve been attracted to painting since early childhood though
nobody in my family was involved in art. Over the years it has
become one of the important parts of my life.

I see art as a way to express myself and my attitude to the
world. I believe that one can see reflection of my thoughts,
mood and feelings in each of my paintings. In art I often take
inspiration from music, dance, photographs and
sometimes even paintings of other artists but most of all I
am driven by what surrounds me in everyday life – people,
nature, architecture etc.

Doing art means a lot to me not only because it satisfies my
cravings for expressing myself in a creative way but also it
gives me freedom to see common things in a different way
and from different angles. Also when I feel exhausted by
everyday routine, art comes as a great getaway and helps
me to find some inner peace.

As a foreigner who has spent more than 4 years in
Singapore I am fascinated by the unique neighbourhood of
various cultures and traditions here. In this painting I’ve
been inspired by the variety of unlike items representing
different cultures, times, parts of life etc. being placed
together.

Almond and Cutie oil on canvas 18 x 24 in

“I paint... anything that captures my eyes, excites my
mind and sets my mood.”


Yee Cheng is presently working as a software engineer
writing cool and fun software applications. She started off
doodling on the walls and progress to drawing on the wall.
She works with pen, pastel, oil, watercolor.

Yee Cheng is influenced by Jean-Jacques Sempé, Egon
Schiele and Joaquín Salvador Lavado (Quino), with
particular fascination about their free-flowing line drawings
and the simplicity in their artwork. A wide spectrum of things
inspire her, anything that captures her eyes, excites her
mind, sets her mood.

Yee Cheng's signature style is the bold and yet delicate
feeling in her creations through decisive and skillfull strokes
with painting knife.Yee Cheng is constantly learning and
evolving her own painting style. As a long term goal, she
hopes to have a growing group of collectors who are eager
to check out her next series of artworks.

"This painting is from the series of paintings I created from
my observation of two rabbits - Almond and Cutie.

This painting captured the rabbits in their classic stance -
curious Cutie who is always on the move and laidback
Almond chilling in a corner while keeping a watchful eye on
his mate. With the interplay of light and lines, I wish to inject
some quirkiness to the quiet image."

Tree oil on canvas 24 x 20 in

“It inspires me to seek within me the strengths I require
to cope with the challenges in life”


For me, art is a form of self expression without boundaries.
From an early age, I found it easier to communicate through
drawing and painting than through words.

Besides painting, I dabbled with other forms of art, was
trained in and performed Indian classical dance, also
worked in ceramics. Recently I started receiving training in
painting and this has made my art concepts much stronger
and I hope to continue to learn and improve my painting
style.

Natural beauty stimulates me and most of the themes I
have painted are from nature. I like vibrant colours and bold
strokes in my paintings and am aiming to develop a semi
abstract style. I am inspired by the impressionist and the
post impressionist artists especially Van Gogh.

My “Tree” painting symbolizes strength, vitality and
resilience to survive and grow even in harshest of weather
conditions. It inspires me to seek within me the strengths I
require to cope with the challenges in life in our ever
changing environment. Just like the tree sprouts branches
creating new possibilities, I seek avenues that take me
beyond the hurdles that I face in life.

Window Seat oil on canvas 24 x 24 in

“Art brings me an inner peace that can only be described
as pure joy.”


Good art enhances the quality of every person’s life. Art
describes life. Art is a portrayal of history, of love, fear,
passion; art is an expression of all human emotions.

As a small child I adored visiting Museums & Art Galleries,
not only to revere in the beauty of the masterpieces
contained within but to enjoy the magnificent structures
which house these treasures. The buildings themselves
are a haven from the rush of life; a tranquil space where the
heart may rest and the soul become nourished.

My endeavour as a painter is to produce on canvas work
that is harmonious and a source of pleasure. It is my hope
for each of my paintings to convey not only a sense of
beauty but of tranquillity to its surrounding space. I will
always be grateful to my father who even as a child
encouraged me to follow my heart.

This painting was inspired by a little stone holiday cottage in
the UK. The gardens are overflowing with colour and scent.
Its welcoming sun kissed stone walls provide freshness
from the heat of the day. The little wooden bench beckons
one to sit, perhaps read or simply take in the beauty and
tranquillity of the surroundings.

My style leans towards impressionism. What I learned from
this painting more than anything else is that my craft needs
patience and dedication, as well as the ability to be
objective to the point of ruthlessness; only then can one
really create. Art brings me an inner peace that can only be
described as pure joy.

Malia No. 1 oil on canvas 36 x 24 in

“I enjoy the different possibilities that art brings.”


Chee Seong is currently teaching full-time at Singapore
Polytechnic's School of Media and Info-Communication
Technology and had co-written a reference textbook “Learn
to program Java”.

He believes that messages in many artworks are overrated
thus resulting in a more down-to-earth approach in his
philosophy towards art. He works with acrylic and oil most
of the time while having no particular preference for genre.

With his strong knowledge in the information technology
field, Chee Seong is capable of using computer software
creatively in the preliminary stage of his art creations. He is
inspired by many things however not particularly towards
tragic events.

Chee Seong is currently working mainly on figurative
artworks. He aspires to be remembered as an artist even
when he is long gone.

"This piece is a portrait of a friend’s daughter. This is one of
a two piece portrait series. This piece uses mainly cool blue
and the other piece (not part of this showcase) uses mainly
warm red. I wanted to show how colour interplays with each
other."

Melting Port Series no. 3 oil on canvas 30 x 30 in

"I paint what I believe to be reality.”


Artifacts have always fascinated me in the way how it
reflects human value towards, religions, history, aesthetics,
life, believe, nature and culture in the past. I am fond of
incorporate them into a modern context which able to
stimulate or challenge viewers' preconception through
analogy of contradictory icons in the artworks.

My approach to painting is one of finding order in chaos. A
finished painting is the result of various processes involved
in the dialogue between my subject, the medium I am
working with and my imagination, glance,
memories, touch, wishes, fears and desires.

I paint what I believe to be reality. It isn't confined to a static
and lifeless representation of a visual image. It is more of a
spontaneous intuitive response of my emotion. Neither the
subject, the paint or my ego are
predominant in the process of paintings.

I seldom begin with any set idea of how a painting should
look. My starting point is usually the impulsive gestural
action and paints itself, then through the process of
interactions, the marks I've made and the colours and forms
I've created begin to suggest the direction the painting may
take.

The T-Shirt oil on canvas 24 x 30 in

“Creating something unique out of a blank canvas is not
only empowering, but also a great source of joy.”


The ability to create, appreciate and admire art is the sixth
sense that every human being is born with. The idea of
creating something out of nothing appeals to me. And I am
lucky to have found a way to express this innate desire
through my art - creating something unique out of a blank
canvas is not only empowering, but also a great source of
joy.

I am inspired by life itself - its diversities, its many moments
and the people I encounter, sometimes even a spoken or
written word. I look for new inspirations for each new piece
of work. By doing this, I hope to ensure that my art is always
fresh and surprising.  Each piece I paint helps me to look at
life in a fresh new light.

To create something new and unique every single time. Not
just art for arts sake, but pieces with concepts and art with a
bit of humour.

I often wonder what the great Che Guevara would do as a
person and as a politician if he were still alive today. Would
he be able to resist behaving like the modern day publicity-
craving politicians who shamelessly seek out every single
self-promotion opportunity available? I hope so... but then
again, we will never know.

The red symbolises passion that is so much a part of Che’s
life. I hope that the individual viewer would have his/her own
unique take on the piece. But, if this piece puts a smile on
the viewers’ faces - that alone, would be rewarding enough
for me.

Pursue acrylic on canvas 36 x 24 in a child leaves home       to fight a battle      a battle with reality, with expectations              exhausted, despair, defeated       returns home,       a home where dreams await       lost the world, found himself

"Painting is a self-discovery process. We learn not only to
have the hands of an artist, but also the eyes to
appreciate colours, an open mind to explore the unknown
and the heart to enjoy the process."


In this series of works, I attempt to explore the versatility of a
new ‘language’. The main elements of the language are
dark bordered-rectangular shapes. These blocks colored
with subtle tone are manipulated to portray space and form.
Working within the constraint, I take up an artistic challenge
to see how far the language can go.

Subjects covered range from Zen-feel, minimalist style to
rhythmic patterns and spontaneous expressionistic
images. The possibility of depicting realistic and
representation subjects are also explored.

This series, in one way or another is inspired by the
masterpieces of Giorgio Morandi, Wu Guanzhong and Gao
Xingjian. I am attracted by Morandi's silent stillness, Gao's
poetic mood and Wu's traditional spirit with modern twists.

Like the musicians in the orchestra, each of the boxes with
its own distinctive identity forms a harmonious ensemble. I,
take on the role of the conductor entice the viewers into a
new world of reality.

"Ibu Mempelai Wanita" (Mother of the Bride) oil on canvas 48 x 36 in

“Creating something unique out of a blank canvas is not
only empowering, but also a great source of joy.”


I use art to study and document interesting features of my
culture - that of the Indonesian-Chinese. Often, the way of
life of ethnic minorities is a mix of traditions and beliefs
stemming both from their homeland and place of
assimilation. The Indonesian-Chinese are no exception.
Our culture is unique, and some of our practices and
behavioural norms may seem charming, surprising or even
funny to outsiders.

Weddings of wealthy Indonesian-Chinese are known to be
elaborate and massive, typically involving thousands of
guests. For many women, it is an occasion to showcase
status and wealth, be it through the size of their hairdos, or
the designer gowns and jewellery they wear.

My piece titled "Ibu Mempelai Wanita" (Mother of the bride) is
a satirical depiction of a woman at such a wedding. The
gown of the central figure in the painting has a Chinese
"cheongsam"-style cut with Indonesian batik motifs,
illustrating the fusion of culture in Indonesian-Chinese
fashion. The big hairdo, though obviously exaggerated in
the painting, is the preferred look of the Indonesian society
woman, and something the Indonesian-Chinese have also
taken a liking to.

This piece is the first in a series which will offer creative
renditions of the Indonesian-Chinese way of life.

Nocturnal Happiness acrylic on canvas 28 x 28 in

“Embracing happiness through art brought me optimism.”


Art - an escape into a world without conflict and pain. Where
happiness reign and all creatures live in perfect harmony.
We can always leave reality to prime time news on TV.

Art is creativity in many different guises. And I see it
sprouting everywhere. Life is beautiful, and I want to
celebrate it through art. I tend to see art as more idea than
form, more impression than expression.

I started painting under the guidance of pioneer artist Tan
Puay Tee at the age of 10. Through his mentorship I learned
the fundamental discipline of colour and form. The most
important lesson he taught me was to be honest and
uncompromising in my art.

I have found a perfect world for myself in my art. I wander in
this endless landscape of hope and beauty, planting
goodness into all things I come across. Embracing
happiness through art brought me optimism.

I seek to bring happiness through my work. Because we
tend to forget to be happy.

This painting was my exploration of the night with my
happiness theme. Fireflies are getting rare here, and most
children these days have not seen them in the wild. In the
painting, fireflies spark the cats' curiosity and he is filled
with fascination. Like the wonder of a child.

There is happiness in the darkest of night, as long as we
keep our child-like innocence alive. Creatures in my
paintings are always wonderful and wild. They are toy-like
hybrid creatures of a cat's fevered imagination. Fantasy
happiness in a plastic toy world, the message is deceivingly
simple. We can't engineer happiness. Like a child's
wonderment, it must be triggered.

The path to May mixed media 30 x 20 in

"... initiates a painting without any pre-determination,
accidents and allows mistake to happen, instead of rigidly
controlling what i want to achieve, i would rather let my
sub-conscious mind take over my creative process ...”


I didn’t pre-planned on 'what I want to convey' when I paint.
The message of a painting usually reaches me when it is
completed, or in other cases, a few years later. When I
started this piece, I only saw lines and someone with an
umbrella wandering on the street. She held the umbrella as
if that was her only connection to 'reality'. Following that, the
rest of the composition and drawing fell in place naturally.

Only a year after this piece was drawn, I knew that it is about
'decision'.

I felt that being an artist, I shall not tell you too much about
what my painting is trying to convey. To me, painting is more
like a conversation with myself, or a journey within my
subconscious mind. I enjoy sitting in front of blank canvas,
or an unfinished work to 'talk' to the painting, and eventually
the lines will form shapes that lead my imagination further
and further from where I am. This is the fun part of painting.
Of course at the end, a painting still conveys something no
matter how simple it is, depends on the how the viewer see
it. If you would like to tell me how you felt about this painting,
drop me a mail: rednoseking@yahoo.com.

I add on lines or color spontaneously when I felt it is
needed, using anything that I can get near me - newspaper,
colored origami pattern paper and acrylic. Through the
process of creating this piece, I learned that “a blank canvas
has a lot to say.”

Green oil on canvas 30 x 30 in

“...being successful means be able to know what you
want, and achieve that. It is important to be able to do
what you want and be sincere in your work.”


After graduated with a diploma in fine art, Wen Shan spent 2
years in Paris to learn French and major in life drawing. He
passed Test de Connexion de Francais and mastered the
fine art of life drawing at Atelier Beaux-Arts de Mairie de
Paris. The capital of the arts offered him ample
opportunities to meet artists from different parts of the world
and to be inspired by the dynamic arts scene.


Green

A plant grows on an old building – does it signify the rebirth or the
destruction of the spirit of struggle of the older generations?

The plant neglected in a city's corner, is it due to perfunctory city life
that causes us to overlook our relationship with the nature?

Morning After oil on canvas 24 x 30 in

“I like to feel happy when I take up the paint brush, no
misgivings, doubts or apprehension.”


Art to me is, simply, an experience that transcends the
humdrum of daily goings-on. The fact that art can be created
from one's imagination - it's creativity unlimited. I am
inspired by the artworks of old masters and young artists
like Chankerk and Prabha.

Art has gotten me to walk the talk - I took up lessons on art
history and art appreciation.  Going to museums is a totally
insightful experience. I would like to up the ante on my
knowledge of art history. I like to feel happy when I take up
the paint brush, no misgivings, doubts or apprehension.

For this painting, I got my inspiration from a photograph
work by Laura Letinsky. It was food and leftovers in still-life
settings (my fav pics).  It was unique - empty glasses and
food that was eaten and not cleaned up afterwards.

I want to express a palpable absence, a feeling of
something missing or left behind. I wanted realism but
done in a contemporary style. Through this piece, I learned
not be overwhelmed by details.

2-way void I, II & III mixed media 12 x 56 in each

“In art, I am (almost) free.”


Art is anything we want it to be.

It can be found in a motionless soiled pebble or a glorious
painting glistening with perfection.

It is art once we consider or feel it to be, and it is precisely
this freedom that pulls me into painting.

In art, I am (almost) free. It seems to be the only excusable
word left to go beyond barriers in a barbed 'human reality'.

I allow myself to search for the ultimate within the ironies of
the infinite unknown. With a satchel of materials, I set out on
a journey without ends or beginnings.

An unreachable goal undoubtedly gives birth to frustrations,
but the journey also promises a shovel on the way to unclog
blocked arteries and liberate one from oneself.



2-way void

Our essence is tied without origin- an unwelcome reminder of the
rootless-ness that annihilates our meanings into dust. We build
grandiose towers of purposes and meanings, shutting our eyes tight to
our bottomless pits.

Towers without bases are bound to fall.
Towers without light cannot be found.

We close our eyes and lay our bricks in sunny dreams.

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