Portraits

GLIMPSE (2024) [Oil on canvas 50 x 101cm] [This painting won the Liberty's People's Choice Award in the 2024 Lloyd's Art Group Winter Exhibition] To mark her 20th anniversary in the UK, the artist challenged herself to depict an outdoor scene with a strong British theme. On 6 May 2023 05:05, the artist braved the cold and wet weather and joined thousands along The Mall to witness the coronation of King Charles III. This was a scene laden with juxtaposition. In the hours before lunch, the crowd watched the very traditional coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey live-streamed on smartphones. This was interspersed with the occasional squadron of cavalry in impressive uniforms. There was real sense of togetherness as strangers shared umbrellas and portable power banks to charge up fainting devices. Finally, after 8 hours and 26 minutes' of eager anticipation, the crowd and their smart phones caught a glimpse of the new king in the 261 year-old Gold State Carriage.

detail of GLIMPSE (2024) [Oil on canvas 50 x 101cm]

KEDAI RUNCIT CHOP HOE AIK, 16 LEBUH PRESGRAVE (GEORGE TOWN, PENANG) (2023) [Oil on canvas 60cm x 50cm] This painting was acquired by the custodians of global art assets at Aspen Insurance Group. It will be hung in Aspen's London office from 2024. George Town in Penang, Malaysia, was established as an entrepôt by Francis Light, a British Royal Navy Captain in 1786. It was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. In 2008, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although it is now a popular tourist destination, urban life in George Town is unfazed by the throngs of visitors. At the quintessentially rustic grocery shop Kedai Runcit Chop Hoe Aik on Lebuh Presgrave, the elderly sole proprietor is comfortably ensconced amongst his goods: a mountain of rice noodles, cooking oil, Ajinomoto, Guinness beer, mineral water, eggs, hell money, incense sticks, cigarettes, mouse traps etc. all stacked in an organised mess. The only hints of modernity are the Covid face masks, hand sanitising gel and the Bas Persiaran (tourist bus) whizzing by outside.

detail of KEDAI RUNCIT CHOP HOE AIK, 16 LEBUH PRESGRAVE (GEORGE TOWN, PENANG) (2023)

BELLA (2023) [Oil on canvas 51cm x 51cm] This portrait of a daughter was commissioned by a private collector in London. The painting attempts to capture the intensity and dynamism of the young tennis player. A Chinese poem, inspired by her, was created by the artist. It says, “To soar ever higher; artistic reputation to spread far and wide”.

detail of BELLA (2023)

SAM JUTHANI (2023) [Oil on canvas 100cm x 70cm] Part of the ‘Pandemic Portrait’ series that will be in the Bank of England’s permanent collection. The Pandemic Portraits were conceived as a charitable project by the artist whilst working at the Bank of England. The aim of the project was to raise empathy levels at the Bank by painting the struggles faced by a diverse range of colleagues during lockdown. Sam sat for his portrait before his wedding, when he had just gone through huge disruptions to his life: wedding postponement, news of terminal cancer suffered by his soon-to-be mother-in-law, and support for family with mental health concerns. I painted a pensive Sam, sitting and gazing into the distance, wondering what the future holds. The backdrop of the portrait is designed to be dark, gloomy and intense, to reflect the intensity of his struggles. A looming portrait of Sam sits behind the portrait – he was still haunted by recent events. The background has echoes of the lake where he scattered the ashes of his father-in-law during lockdown. I incorporated excerpts of Sam’s personal reflection in the painting. There were also scratch marks across wet paint on the canvas to express the gruelling period of his life. The calligraph at the background is designed to be difficult to read; the looming portrait a little vague; and the lake was painted to be suggestive. Together these elements are designed to force the viewer to squint and struggle to understand what is on the canvas. This is to mirror the emotions of Sam at that period, also struggling to makes sense of events.

detail of SAM JUTHANI (2023)

LAURA TAYLOR (2023) [Oil on canvas 61cm diameter] Part of the ‘Pandemic Portrait’ series that will be in the Bank of England’s permanent collection. The Pandemic Portraits were conceived as a charitable project by the artist whilst working at the Bank of England. The aim of the project was to raise empathy levels at the Bank by painting the struggles faced by a diverse range of colleagues during lockdown. When Laura put herself forward in the call for sitters, I was immediately struck by her story. She had been working at the Bank of England for a number of years but none of her teammates knew about her hearing difficulties. She wore a hearing aid, which she hid behind her long hair. When full remote working arrangement began in lockdown, colleagues enthused about its convenience. However, most were oblivious that colleagues like Laura relied on lip reading. She struggled to follow meetings as colleagues had their cameras switched off in online meetings. Eventually, she had to reveal her personal struggles and request that colleagues switched on their cameras to allow her to lip read. It was unfortunate that something private had to be revealed dye to circumstances, as opposed to choice. The focal point of the composition is the frontal view of Laura’s face. From this view, there is no indication that she has hearing difficulties. Ironically, the focal point is actually her reflection in the mirror. This is the first thing a viewer sees, and it echoes reality whereby people who first encounter her would not know about her hearing difficulties. Using darker values and softer edges with my paint, I depicted the real Laura on the left of the composition. Although this is the secondary subject in the portrait, it is her actual self. Often, the truth is hidden and only revealed when one spends time to understand. This is the view where one could see her hearing aid. The sequence of viewing this painting mirrors the sequence in which we discover Laura and her hearing challenges.

detail of LAURA TAYLOR (2023)

MONTY AND HERMIONE (2023) [Pen and watercolour on paper 35.6cm x 45.7cm] This portrait of pet rabbits was commissioned as a birthday present by a private collector in Kent, England.

detail of MONTY AND HERMIONE (2023)

HERMIONE (2023) [Pen and watercolour on paper 27.5cm x 21cm] This birthday card was commissioned by a private collector in Kent, England.

ENTROPY (2022) [Oil on canvas 76cm x 76cm] This image encapsulates the artist’s sense of acute loneliness whilst grappling with the abrupt end to a relationship. She finds solace in a childhood friend who is an anchor in a sea of turbulent emotions. The artist ruminates the events leading to the interweaving of two contrapuntal yet complementary personalities who gravitated towards each other. The ghosts of beautiful memories haunt the artist. Tiny gems of the moments they shared are as vivid as if they happened yesterday. Regrettably, the melodious partnership ended - the intelligible colours, shapes and forms soon disintegrate into a cacophony of chaos. Against this backdrop of disequilibrium, she is slowly rebuilding the structure in her life in an attempt to restore a sense of order. In this painting, the artist experiments with symbolism. Her deliberate choice of colour and flower represents the heritages of both persons; whilst the juxtaposition between order and fluidity represents the contrasting personalities of the couple.

detail of ENTROPY (2022)

DISEMBODIMENT (2022) [Mixed media 75cm x 62cm] This drawing captures the internal turmoil suffered by the artist following an abrupt end to a relationship. An intense period of self-reflection and incessant dissection of events ensued. Past anguish resurfaced and were re-examined and rescrutinised in a futile attempt to understand and to rediscover her sense of self.

ME, ME, ME (2021) [Oil on canvas 61cm diameter] This is a biographical record of this phase of my life. It is a celebration of all the things I love: piano, plants, art, quirky glasses and wearing shorts in summer. The patch on my knee is a reminder of hours of tennis and a fall from my bicycle three days before I did this painting. I chose to use a fisheye lens to help me capture everything in frame. But it also is a consequence of living on my own – my best friend Pangkie can only provide loyal companionship and no help with the camera.

THOR (2020) [Oil on canvas 61cm diameter] Thor’s glare, whilst intense, reminds me of the good times I spent in my brother’s flat in London before he left the country for good. I was never sure if Thor ever welcomed me as his eyes always seemed to say “I am the King of this flat”.

RATIDZO (2020) [Oil on canvas 80cm x 60cm] Part of the ‘Pandemic Portrait’ series that will be in the Bank of England’s permanent collection. The Pandemic Portraits were conceived as a charitable project by the artist whilst working at the Bank of England. The aim of the project was to raise empathy levels at the Bank by painting the struggles faced by a diverse range of colleagues during lockdown.

ANDREW BAILEY (2020) [Oil on canvas 100cm x 100cm] Part of the ‘Pandemic Portrait’ series that will be in the Bank of England’s permanent collection. The Pandemic Portraits were conceived as a charitable project by the artist whilst working at the Bank of England. The aim of the project was to raise empathy levels at the Bank by painting the struggles faced by a diverse range of colleagues during lockdown.

TATENDA (2019) [Oil on canvas 152cm x 121cm]

FOREVER EVAN (2019) [Oil on canvas 84cm x 84cm] In this triple portrait of her nephew Evan, Pau Ling sought to capture the introspective yet inquisitive nature of this young toddler. She chose to complete the portrait in grisaille in order to focus on composition, edges and tonal values.

JASPER (2017) [Pencil on paper A3]

SIDELINED: BRUISED BUT NOT BEATEN (circa 2015) [Oil on canvas 120cm x 100cm] [Featured on Issue 56 of the online art magazine "Haus a rest" on 6 January 2025 on the theme of "Externalising the Internal"] This painting was a cathartic release of the pain suffered by the artist, as victim of years of bullying at a toxic workplace. As a junior person at the office, she felt unable to report the wrongdoings of her seniors in fear of retaliation. The power imbalance was immense, and she was silenced. Her only avenue of expression was to paint. She felt naked and vulnerable to the attacks and psychological bullying. She was surrounded by stone cold people who were buried in their self-interest. They had no qualms in invading her space, trampling her peace and fabricating lies, in their selfish quest for promotion. They portray an image of polished, respectable self-assurance, yet their true colours peek out occasionally, as symbolised by the red socks. The artist was going through the motions of going to work. The tube was moving forward, yet there is no floor – there was no sense of stability. She was sidelined and bruised, yet, in her weakness, a tiny sliver of defiance remained. Quietly, she mustered just enough strength to stick two fingers up to her aggressors.

Still Life

YAP PAU LING

Artistcontact

Artist

contact