Abstraction

We hear that you work in trading! What’s your day to day like?
Well, not exactly. My company is a trading company, but I’m actually involved in a little bit of marketing, mostly on administration, accounting, and general affairs.

On a typical day, I’m at the office from 9AM to 5:30PM. After work, I usually head home and get in some exercise, like walking, light jogging, or doing Zumba in front of the TV. I also love art, so I spend some of my free time painting.

Cool! What kind of paintings do you do?
I used to paint still life and portraits, but in recent years, I’ve moved into abstract painting, inspired by Mondrian’s style: angular, colourful, and full of vibrant bursts. Much of my inspiration comes from cityscapes, shophouses, and architecture. I held an exhibition on cityscapes a couple of years ago, and I plan to continue creating them. My parents have always encouraged me to keep pursuing art and reminded me to never give up on it.

You speak so enthusiastically about your art! So what made you decide on this current job instead of pursuing art full-time?
Well, realistically speaking, I have quite a few friends who are artists. From what I’ve seen, you really need to establish yourself, meaning you need a steady flow of work each month. Without that, it’s quite hard to sustain yourself, especially in Singapore. One of my friends actually collaborated with SMRT to paint and exhibit his works at one of our train stations!

Very cool! Is art something that you’d want to pursue in the future?
Initially, my first choice was to be an architect (laughs), but I didn’t make it for the aptitude test in NUS because the intake was so large. Thereafter I spoke to my mum since I wanted to pursue it overseas in Australia, but she wasn’t comfortable with me going overseas alone, so that plan fell through, hence I ventured into fine art and painting.

I think the main thing for me now is to get back on my feet, to work hard and save money. Maybe later in life, I’ll return to painting, because it truly brings me joy. It’s like stepping out of the office—even though that might sound mundane, it feels refreshing as it breaks the routine.

Agreed! We also understand that you’re a Sagittarius. What traits of a Sagittarius do you think describes you as a person?
I enjoy following horoscopes to a certain degree, but what personally aligns with me are concepts like freedom and love within the Sagittarius horoscope. I can be enthusiastic, restless, and occasionally stubborn (laughs).

Do you read up on the daily or monthly predictions?
I visit various sites, including those for deeper readings like tarot, and I compare them with my monthly astrology predictions. Sometimes they mention specific lucky dates or colours to wear. I don’t really follow all of that since I’m not that superstitious (laughs), but it’s interesting to hear what they have to say. Overall, I do find some truth in the readings, especially with tarot; they often touch on things that are happening in my life right now.

Last question, if you were to win the lottery, what would you do?
There are so many things that I want to do! Well, I still have to be responsible with my current work, so I’ll ensure that I take care of everything first before I go out to enjoy myself.

That’s very responsible of you, most people would probably just disappear into thin air!
Oh no, I couldn’t do that! I’ve been with this company for over 10 years, and I’ve been very happy here. Of course, work has its challenges, but that’s why I make time to unwind at home and try to maintain a balance. You can’t always have everything you want all at once. It takes time.