Artist MIA

Self-expression is a tool that shapes our daily lives and our identity. Art is where my self-expression happens - through sketching before and painting more recently. You can see it in the vivid colours and layering of words and symbols. They reflect the various emotions and different phases in my life. My work takes you through these phases. I use film photographs and childhood items. This way, the viewer is also self-expressing by connecting to my experiences and perhaps remembering their own. Through traveling and a whole lot of networking, I learned that the key to being relatable by being authentic and reflecting your true self in the work. That being said, that does not translate to sticking to your comfort and ways. I constantly push myself to experiment with different art and collaborating with other artists from various background.

I believe my purpose on this earth is to interpret the world around me and convey it through art. This is why I draw from items like protest banners and street art. Art lies in the unconventional but real.  With my art recipe being my authentic self, the real world, and influences from Frida Kahlo and Stanley Donwood, my art transcends the canvas. It becomes a tool to shatter barriers and prejudice as well as dismantle any notion of superiority. Because art is a tool with a higher purpose, artists are more than ever busy when there is a crisis. “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilisations heal” – Toni Morrison.