This is an excerpt from a Q&A that was done in 2021 that was intended for Sembilan Art Residency's new website.
1. Rewinding back in time - How did you get started in Art? I've always been drawing since I was a kid. I remember drawing on very large mahjong papers as a kid- one who was hyperactive, could not stay still, and so these papers were given to me as a way to keep me occupied. Growing up, in school as well, I was always drawing. Anatomy, comic book art, calligraphy and learnt the fine art of sketching and watercolors as a teenager. Growing up, I was trained in classical piano and the organ. Naturally, I gravitated towards art and creative endeavours. As a young adult, I learnt photography, music/audio production & engineering, computers. In my working years, I was exposed to graphic design, Photoshop, 3D, videography, performing as a DJ, events and marketing. It was only 2010 that I began painting again, making use of the skills and knowledge (I studied literature & the social sciences in college) that I accumulated, learned and experienced over the years. In a way, coming back to the beginning, but with new eyes and disposition. 2. What led you to Sembilan - Where were you in your art career at the time? An old buddy, James Yip (one of the co-founders of Sembilan) asked me out for dim sum one day with an idea for an artist residency that he, his wife Xin Yi and Lee (co-founder) were setting up. I agreed to join Sembilan as their first season artist, alongside Jael Estrella. At the time, I was already a few years into my art practice. This was in 2014. After some consideration, I jumped at the opportunity, wanting to further my art practice and thought processes. I had been doing a few group shows as well as solo shows in the Klang Valley too, and wanted to take this opportunity to learn new things about my craft: making bigger works, making use of the studio space and getting to know Seremban town - where the first residency was held. I had been extensively travelling and documenting Malaysia's cities, towns and islands at the time. 3. What were your expectations prior to joining and were they met? I didn't have much expectations, to be honest. Of course, the basics - A studio space to work in, a place to stay at, and to have enough money to pay my bills and expenditures. The Sembilan team fulfilled all my expectations. I had a great time. It was an eye opener for me; having dedicated use of a professional artist studio then. This experience informed my choice to subsequently open my own studio/atelier shortly thereafter. And I've run my own studio ever since. It's amazing what one can achieve in a designated workplace, away from home. It gives the artist freedom, a physical and mental space to make their best works, at any given time. 4. Would you join (or have you joined) any other art residencies since? In 2014, near the end of our Sembilan residency, we (Jael and I) we were sent to Penang for Wei Ling Gallery's mentorship programme. I was mentored under Hamidi Hadi, a great abstract artist and academic. We are still friends till this day and it was a great learning experience. In 2018, I joined Rimbun Dahan for a 3 months as their South East Asian Artist in Residence. There, I created a body of work which went on to show at a two-man show at the National Art Gallery of KL, organized and represented by the infamous Pelita Hati Gallery of Art. It's rather strange writing about this now, that some of the smaller female portraiture paintings from my Rimbun Dahan residency - recently got sold at an art fair at Seoul, Korea this year in 2021 through the Korean Gallery LVS. Artist residencies are great for the formation of (new) ideas and processes for an artist. It pushes the artist beyond what they normally do in their own studios. 5. What would your advice be to an artist who is considering to join an art residency program? I'd tell the artist to go for it. Make the sacrifice. Go beyond your comfort zone - it's where great things happen for you, where growth truly begins. I've had the privilege of both talking to art interns, students and writing letters of recommendations for artists who are trying to get into art residency programs. I've had to review works from national artists in national art competitions too. The common singularity is this - A curious mind, someone who wants to explore their craft further, pushing the boundaries of what we know as human beings, and making the effort to make their dreams a reality. The art world is tough, it's risky; but you know innately if art making is for you. Whether you are meant to do it. We don't regret the things we did. We regret the things we failed to do. 6. In relation to the art ecosystem, are residencies important, and why? Yes, they are. The are breeding grounds for ideas and experimentation. Artist residencies are pillars of the ecosystem. Alongside writers, critics, galleries, museums, art schools, artists et al. At a residency you are guided, given space to work. It's akin to a blank slate for you as an artist to make known, what is unknown or unrealized. It's a kind of academic institution, but for a limited time only. So make your best works there, enjoy your time during the residency and make connections and networks that you may not have had the opportunity to do so; if you were working alone in your studio. Enjoy the process, be gratuitous and be graceful in your daily undertaking. 7. Finally, where are you at with your art career at the moment, and what's next from you? That's the eventual question isn't it? I'm super busy at the moment haha. Having employed an assistant and running my studio, this takes up my waking and working hours. I work on paintings and document the process. Everyday I'm reading, meditating, writing, attending shows, participating in group and solo shows and generally speaking and engaging people from the lens of an artist. This means, the topics generally revolve around photography, videography, composition, elements of design or framing works, ordering supplies and making adjustments to my works: readying them for shows, clients or galleries and having enough time and mental clarity daily for exercise, family, loved ones, a cup of coffee, regular meals and a good nights sleep. When you get to a phase or a level in your work as an artist, you'll need to begin sacrificing some things which people take for granted. It may mean declining a visit to a party, or having to work alone, removing staples, carrying heavy things or reorganizing and dealing with storage space in the studio. Or buying and investing in expensive artist grade materials. If it's required of you, go do it. Be serious about where you are going in your career, plan your path and shoulder that responsibility. Take pride in your work and enjoy the small victories when and where you can get it. The art market is a beast. So be humble, graceful and be thankful for where you are in the ecosystem. Respect the past, learn the trade and when and after you master it, don't be afraid to break the rules or to question the status quo. But always in the spirit of respect, tradition and evolution. Be confident, expressive, have no fear and put in the work. Oh, I haven't answered the question of what's next for me? haha. The usual. Get better at my work from working at it. Joining upcoming art fairs that my galleries will be participating in, solo shows or group shows. Pushing forward, putting my hypothesis to the test, failing, succeeding. All part and parcel of an artists' trajectory. But most importantly, I look for ways to help others. 'As you grow older, you will discover you have two hands, one for helping ourselves, the other for helping others.' - Audrey Hepburn
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