MOTHER / FLOWER

This series takes its title from a moment I had with my mother when she encouraged me to paint flowers. I resisted and told her no. It wasn’t until I found myself on vacation in Singapore that my perspective on the matter changed. My eyes became overwhelmed by many different species of flowers in unique, rare environments. It ignited a fire in me, and flowers started to appear in my drawings. I noticed their vibrancy and uniqueness, and they offered me a place to explore visually, contemplate, and grow. I wanted to bring back these souvenirs into my art.

Each painting starts with basic mark-making on paper. My figures slowly emerge from these marks. When I approach the canvas, I leave room for spontaneity and treat the painting as its own entity. The colour choices are made intuitively, and one at a time. I don’t need much to go on once I start painting, and I like letting things unfold freely while painting. When complete, I stand back and contemplate what it means. To me, it’s akin to reviewing a diary entry and gaining a new perspective on my feelings, both then and now. I have to work like this, otherwise, it is like talking and listening at the same time: you can’t.

Perhaps I had too much on my mind when I rejected my mother’s encouragement. In hindsight, I’m glad I gave it a second chance.

Flowers remind me that the true elixir of life is found when we pay attention to the beauty in our surroundings and live in the present.