My art journey

Learning without innate talent

Growing up, I never thought I had any skill to do art. As a kid, even stick figures were a struggle, and my attempts at copying manga characters as a teenager were a total failure — the characters always came out looking wrong, a reminder this was not for me.

Decades later, in Singapore, I met a friend who had just painted a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She looked so proud, holding that painting (as she should’ve been), and it hit me —having something tangible as the result of your work must feel amazing. In an life of pure digital work, where success looks like numbers on a screen, having something I could put on a wall felt really refreshing.

So I was inspired to give art another try. For months I painted in a café during the weekend and started drawing regularly, developing a side of my brain that had been dormant for a long time. 

It’s been a long, at times frustrating journey, and I’m still no prodigy, but I’ve gotten to a point where I actually enjoy it. Having done a few paintings for people around me made me feel really proud. 

Below are some of the most recent works – get in touch if you’d like a piece or want to discuss some art!