Class In Session

Introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a current Bachelor of Arts student in Art Histories and Curatorial Practices at LASALLE University of the Arts. I’m a mature student, so on the side, or rather, my second life is being a founder of a 3D visualisation studio. My background is in architecture and computer graphics, so that’s what I do as a profession.

Interesting! How did you go from architecture to curatorial practices?
The redirection was because I was trying to revive this childhood dream of mine to be part of the art ecosystem. I grew up in an era where art was frowned upon and where everyone was ushered into the science stream, so right now, this redirection is allowing me to explore art again. It’s been very exciting and fun for me honestly!

Aww we’re glad you’re finally chasing that dream of yours! Going back to your day job, tell us what 3D visualisation entails.
So we basically visualise unbuilt spaces. It’s things you see in the papers—artist impressions of condominiums. But for me and my studio, we specialise in hospitality. So we’re not necessarily the ones designing these buildings, but we are the ones visualising them and doing up elements of design, especially the interior fitouts, so that they’re easier to market to developers.

What is it like being both a founder and a student? Are there any challenges you’ve faced juggling both?
I think not so much of challenges, but more of exploring different aspects of interacting with people. As a founder, I have to be very assertive and I have to make decisions, whereas in a school environment, I’m learning with the other students, so it’s more collaborative. As a boss working with employees, there’s a very direct hierarchy, so these are the differences. They’re not challenges, just fun things that I negotiate, and I think I’;m quite the shape-shifter, so it’s been fine for me.

Did you have any reservations about going back to school, or were you just excited to go for it?
I was excited to go for it! We only live once, so do what you’ve always wanted to do! I mean, I’ve worked overseas, I’ve started my own business, and now being back in school, I’ve somehow been able to connect the dots of all of the experiences that I’ve been through, and I see how these are all related and accumulative in what I’m doing right now. It’s all about igniting that passion in myself.

That’s very cool, and also very brave! Now that you’re in a more artistic space with your studies, how has this informed your architectural practice?
Well, visualisation is a lot about how an image looks, so in a way it already intersects with art. In my practice, we look a lot at how the visualisation of architecture can be a form of art in terms of colours, composition, mood, and how this all resonates with people, because when you sell a space, you have to sell something that appeals to people. So I think at its heart, what I do for work is very related to how art is always trying to tell a story—the narratives of people and their lived experiences and how this touches and resonates with other people.

What are some of your inspirations or references you draw from in your work and field of study?
Definitely a lot of the tension between art and technology. We have AI art coming up and this is creating a lot of tension and disruption in the art world. These are things that I wouldn’t say inspires me, but makes me think a lot about where we’re going in terms of the direction of art.

For specific artists, Amanda Heng, one of the pioneering artists of Singapore, inspires me as she set up the first women’s collective—Women in the Arts—in 1988. Her artwork really explores the changing socio-political landscape of Singapore as we progress throughout the years. It always addresses the urgencies of the time and her practice of using everyday gestures and rituals like walking and talking. These are very embodied kinds of gestures, and it shows that we can use our bodies as a site for memories and resistance even. It’s something that I find compelling.

What are your hopes for art in Singapore, and how its shaping up to be in the future?
I hope more people will visit exhibitions, galleries, and museums because art is really not a myth. It’s not something that is hard to decode. I often hear people saying that they don’t understand this or that, but in its essence, at its root, art is really about everyday life. It’s rooted in the stories of people—big struggles, happiness, joy, melancholy, everything! I think that people will be able to find hope and maybe solace in art to handle everyday situations if they would just go out and see more of it.