Art as Research
Being a faculty member with experience in two research universities in Asia, my primary focus has been on exploring the unique interdisciplinary roles that painting and drawing navigate in conjunction with diverse communities and disciplines. The development of painting in the research context has been contingent upon these investigations. By focusing on the development of interdisciplinary strategies, I have cultivated connections between art, design thinking, sociology, and ethnography in my creative work and teaching streams.
As an artist, I investigate the contrast between how the world is perceived and how it is experienced. Societies are shaped by social and economic hierarchies that position individuals within varying degrees of visibility and influence. Living and working in Asia for nineteen years as a foreigner has given me a unique vantage point, shaped by layers of historical, cultural, and media-driven perceptions. These lenses, though not entirely reflective of my identity, inform how I am seen and understood within this context. While my position differs significantly from that of the millions of migrant workers in Singapore, who navigate far greater challenges, it still involves navigating perceptions unfamiliar to my own sense of self. It is through this dynamic of foreignness that my art in Asia finds its voice
