Artist Statements
How did you get interested about the deep sea?
I grew up in Singapore, an island nation in South East Asia.
It was the healing properties of the sea water that are my earliest memories.
As a child, I would regularly soak in the sea to help soothe my allergic skin reactions. Yet, I was terrified of swimming in the ocean. In retrospect, it must have been the fear of the unknown and the lurking monsters in cultural myths. Despite this, I was always curious about life beneath the waves.
Later in my 20’s, I learned to snorkel in the Tioman Islands in the South China Sea. It was during this time that I became fascinated with sea creatures, their colours, textures, forms and movements and how light painted the underwater environment. I was enchanted by the quirkiness of these lifeforms and this surreal world .
I first came into contact with bioluminescent plankton at a
turtle sanctuary on the Pacific coast of Mexico.
It was a magical experience.
On a moonless night I witnessed the Milky Way above me and the plankton bloom beneath my feet. It felt like I was walking on celestial skies.
There I was, seeing an invisible world of microscopic plankton revealed before my eyes, pulsating in electric blue.
As I think back, the visceral sense of scale between the microcosm and the macrocosmos blew my mind.
The unimaginably enormous sky and the microscopic lifeforms, minuscule beyond what my eyes could perceive, gave me a deep sense of connection to both worlds and my place in this universe.
What do you imagine that deep-sea biological sciences can do?
Deep-Sea biological science can inform the public on how our planet functions, and can reveal the importance of the ocean in sustaining an equilibrium for our planet’s climate and environment.
Scientists have just begun exploring the ocean’s healing potential.
Not all the organisms in the ocean are known.
I would imagine discoveries of medicinal drugs and cures for humans coming from the ocean.
This research not only allows us to learn about our living environment, it demonstrates the
sophistication, brilliance and intelligence of deep sea creatures beyond our imagination.
There is much to learn from species that have adapted to living in these extreme conditions.
Why do you think that bridging Art & Science is important?
When Artists and Scientists come together, they amplify each others mission.
Science allows us to comprehend our natural world and provides endless artistic inspiration.
Art evokes emotions and reaches to the depths of the human psyche.
It pierces through constructed social barriers.
Art uses the language of agency, it reminds us of our ability to choose, to think, and to act. It is an agent of cultural shift.
I feel a deep sense of responsibility to communicate and share the importance and beauty of scientific discovery to address the fragility and interconnectedness of the living world.
As an artist, bridging Art and Science allows me to turn curiosity into visual communication.
I believe our sense of wonder develops from appreciation to understanding, from respect to conviction and responsibility to protect our planet.
Artworks
