Before collage became my primary practice, I spent a few years moving restlessly between mediums — ink, charcoal, neon glass, floral painting — following my curiosity wherever it led. These explorations weren’t detours, but my way of discovering my artistic voice. They were how I learned what I was actually after: gesture, embodiment, and a sense of rhythm. Much of this work is currently available for sale; the rest becomes source material for my collage work.
Suminagashi, July 2025
The “Suminagashi” Collection is a series of abstract ink paintings on paper, using the Japanese marbling technique of suminagashi (which translates to “floating ink”) as a backdrop for my signature ink brush strokes. This collection contains the first pieces of work I created that really felt like me, like my essence captured on paper.
Charcoal drawing, 2023-2024
Returning to the first visual medium I fell in love with. After exploring so many different art mediums in the past 2 years, I think my heart always knew what spoke to me the most, even though my brain kept denying it and telling me to “inject some colour” into my work. Charcoal figure drawing was where my art journey all started, and it will always feel like home.
Behind the creative process: Way Out and Skin
Calligraphic abstracts, 2023-2024
I spent the summer of 2024 experimenting with abstract art inspired by my Chinese calligraphy practice. I’ve been craving the flow and expression of Chinese calligraphy in a way that transcends language. “Fire and Ice” and “Flame”, in particular, came from experimenting with calligraphic brushstrokes in combination with other media like charcoal and acrylic and gold ink.
The “Electric” triptych from 2023 was a series of abstract studies that laid the groundwork for the painting, “Clarity” (below). My intention was to create a heavily abstracted figure painting that evoked a calligraphic sense of movement, an ode to my new studies in Chinese calligraphy at the time. The “Electric” studies ended up becoming works of art on their own.
Neon, 2023-2024
I took a workshop at Urban Glass in Brooklyn on creating neon, hand-bent glass tubes into abstract shapes which were filled with neon and argon+mercury. Needless to say, I was OBSESSED.
My next piece, “Jaz That Ink”, was a project I created at a following workshop at Brooklyn Glass. It was kinda ridiculous that I had the audacity to attempt not only lettering, but script lettering (ie. cursive) for my first ever neon project. Script lettering is more complex than regular block lettering since there’s no distinct separation between letters, and a blurry distinction between front and back planes. I spot a lot of imperfections and wonky kinks in this piece, many times where I messed up and the bend didn’t go as planned, but I’m damn proud of it regardless.
My final piece that year was “DREAM 夢”, which was the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging, but also the most rewarding piece. In addition to overcoming technically difficulties and broken glass, this piece is deeply personal and alludes to the immigrant struggle and generational clashing of dreams and values. It was created at Brooklyn Glass, modeled after @kaori_shodo‘s Kanji calligraphy.
Behind the creative process: DREAM 夢 and Jaz That Ink
Floral Ink Painting, 2023
Because Chinese calligraphy and Chinese painting are sister arts, I was inspired to branch away from figures and try my hand at floral painting. I was in that awkward phase that every artist goes through, where my old style doesn’t feel true anymore and yet a definitive new style has not yet evolved. An uncomfortable yet necessary part of the artistic process. I’m distilling it down to just doing the things that feel good and bring me joy (the satisfying feeling of painting brush strokes), without knowing where it’ll go.
Figure studies, 2023
A series of studies ranging from an extension of my figure painting practice established in 2022, to abstract figures using calligraphic ink techniques. “Follow Me There” is my largest piece ever created — the freedom of movement is unlike anything else, and the piece basically emerged on its own.
Behind the creative process: Follow Me There and Electric triptych/Clarity