Garden of Hopes grew out of a season of returning. These paintings are about healing, resilience, and the quiet moments when hope begins to find its way back. Layer by layer, petals emerge like memories, carrying traces of joy, sorrow, tenderness, and growth.
This garden does not exist in soil, but within the human spirit. At its heart, Garden of Hopes is an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to believe that beauty still finds a way to bloom.
Chapter 01: Heart Remembered, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
One of the first paintings I created after returning to painting.
I had no concept and no intention of building a series. I was simply following instinct, allowing colour to move freely across the surface. Looking back, I realise I kept returning to the shape of a heart.
Perhaps I was searching for something familiar.
Perhaps I was trying to reconnect with myself.
At the time, I did not know these quiet experiments would eventually become something larger. I was simply learning to trust my hands again.
Sometimes healing begins in ways we do not recognise.
Chapter 02: Open Wings, 2024
These two paintings emerged intuitively, with fluid forms and transparent layers. Looking back, they feel like open butterfly wings before the butterfly itself appeared. They became a quiet bridge between instinct and transformation.
Title: From Roots to Wings, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Before the petals appeared, there was colour. Then come the butterflies.
These paintings emerged quietly, without a plan or destination. I was learning to trust my hands again, allowing instinct to lead and emotions to surface.
Working with fluid forms and transparent layers became a way of slowing down and listening.
Looking back, I realise these pieces were already carrying the first traces of what would later become Garden of Hopes.
Sometimes we do not recognise the beginning while we are living it.
Chapter 03: Rebirth, 2024
Created for the UOB Painting of the Year competition, Rebirth marked my return after a long silence. Unsure how to fill the surrounding space, I instinctively painted layers of petals around the butterfly wing. Without realising it, those petals would later become the seeds of Garden of Hopes.
Title: Rebirth, 2024
Acrylic and hand embroidery on canvas
Rebirth marked my return to painting after a long season of silence.
The butterfly wing became a symbol of transformation and renewal. Its broken edges and golden stitches speak of vulnerability, healing, and the quiet beauty found in imperfection.
Hand embroidery became an intimate gesture of repair. Each stitch carries memories of pain, resilience, and hope, reminding us that growth does not come from erasing our scars, but from embracing them.
Chapter 04: Garden of Hopes, 2024
What began almost accidentally continued to unfold. Curious about the layered petals surrounding Rebirth, I kept experimenting with them. One painting led to another, and gradually a garden emerged. Layer by layer, petals became memories, carrying traces of joy, tenderness, and hope.
Curious about the layered petals surrounding Rebirth, I kept experimenting with them. One painting led to another and gradually a garden emerged.
Layer by layer, petals became memories carrying traces of joy, tenderness and hope.
I paint intuitively, allowing one layer to respond to another. For me, painting is less about perfection and more about listening.
