Just done retooling my illustration site. Now you can visit cargocollective.com/fadedcrimson for a better-selected look at my work. There's a mix of old / new stuff in there—I shortlisted those that best represent my style(s) and offer a good variety. 

Sneak peek for "The Unusual Suspects", a collaborative group exhibition at Mad Nest. The exhibition pairs up local photographers and illustrators to create works "where people, the environment, fashion and art coalesce."

I got to partner with talented local street photographer John Tan of Street Peek for this project. We started by asking our subjects several candid questions—from fictional characters they like to hang out with to their favorite animals. The answers are then weaved and crafted to form a loose but interconnected storytelling within six artworks.

Also featured in this project are these incredibly talented folks:
- Sartorial Daily x Sokkuan Tye
- Lil Red Dot Folks x Amanda Keisha Ang
- Shentonista x MESSYMSXI

Exhibition opens this Tuesday.

Grandmother's Garden and Other Stories

Dementia isolates the afflicted and their loved ones in a world of their own, like a lonely ship sailing dark and vacant seas. Its howl breaks languages, disintegrating connections. But sometimes, even in the face of failing memories and now-meaningless syllables, unhampered by brokenness and missed connections, intimacy prevails in the deepest recesses of human relationships, untouched. 

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I was invited to contribute to Before We Forget by Jeremy from Hachisu. The project, which culminates in a documentary and a book titled Grandmother's Garden and Other Stories, is a conversation about dementia as told through first-person stories and messages. 

Seeing glimpses of the documentary and listening to live readings from contributors during the book launch at the Arts House was a moving experience. It is a bleak and difficult subject to contemplate,  but the strength and eloquence which came through during the reading was amazing to witness. 

My Life, My Coffin is a part of Life Before Death, an initiative of The Lien Foundation to start a candid and honest conversation about death and dying. FARM generously invited me to participate in the project. It is a poignant and meaningful endeavor, one that allowed me to confront my cynicism and overcome the fear of forging meaningful connections with strangers.

My subject is Ms. Kitty Fogh, a vivid storyteller and teacher. Succinctly put:

90-year-old Kitty is one of the most colourful characters you’ll meet at the nursing home. This affable former English teacher is of Danish-Ceylonese parentage, and has lived at St. Joseph’s for over 30 years. By her own admission, Kitty has led a full life and enjoyed a very satisfying career in education. In her day, she also coached netball, and was involved in drama, the choir and folk dancing. She still speaks fondly of her teaching days, her students and her former colleagues. Kitty is especially proud of being invited to teach country dancing to members of the royal family of Malaysia’s Johor state.

I want the artwork to embody her lively spirit and, at the same time, to address the issue of death in a gentle light. Searching for a solution, I stumbled upon a poignant quote by Louisa-May Alcott, author of Little Women, and much like Kitty herself, a Renaissance woman, a teacher, and a throughly independent spirit. The quote says: Love is the only thing we can carry with us as we go, and it makes the end so easy.

The quote is rendered in organic, flowing form and warm color palette. In addition to that, I created little characters, cheerful boys and girls, to represent Kitty's students, the source of her pride and happiness in life.

project overview

artwork page, artist bio

Thanks to Ms.Deanna Ng for the photos.

Curiosity

Nostalgia

Close-ups:

+ one more artwork.

'Curiosity', 'Nostalgia', and 'Euphoria' make up a series of hand-drawn illustration for 'Food for the Soul', an ongoing creative exhibit for local talents, as curated by kichn. Artworks available as A3 Prints (archival ink & professionally framed) and postcards. Visit kichn to peek closer / make a purchase!

Year-end card for pupilpeople.

gingerbread girls

'Gingerbread Girls' is a homespun project put together as my own way to celebrate Christmas and to give a humble gift to close friends and family. My initial idea was to craft a greeting card made of hand-drawn characters which can be perforated off the card ( like paper dolls ) and hung on Christmas trees, or stuck into cupcakes with the help of wooden toothpicks. Greeting cards are often the first thing to go into the trash can once the season ends, so I like the idea that a part of the card will remain and last for years to come, even if the card itself isn't. Since then, I'd encountered issues challenging the idea's practicality, especially the perforation part. In the end, I settled with a panoramic greeting card that comes with dotted lines ( around the characters' outline ) instead of perforation holes. The recipient will have the option to cut the paper dolls out of the card if they wish to. Alternatively, they may keep the card in its original form. 

for DDB's Fresh Air for Women campaign. Mid/Early 2009.

in the kichn

 

kichn is a concept cafe & creative platform initiative by pupilpeople. See the poster series here.

gingerbread girls - drawing

artwork for OIC's third anniversary exhibition ( 3 x 3 x 30 )

The theme is 'three'. Clue: look at the shadow the monocle makes. Always wanted to work monocles into an artwork for a while. I really adore The New Yorker's gentleman mascot, and it's also a bit of an in-joke.

love, joy, kindness - for a series of posters

cut & paste : experimental poster. illustration & typography

experimental poster : illustration + typography. color pencil, mechanical drawing pencil and your friendly neighborhood Adobe Illustrator ( for the type ) 

click here & here to see bigger. 

one, two,....

Celebration / L'Officiel Singapore

for upcoming issue

L'Officiel December 2009

Beauty Opener