My practice centers around studying the process of individual memory formation. I am curious about how our emotional ties to particular objects or events, etc., affect the process of our memory formation of that period, hence the accuracy of our recollections and personal narratives we reconstruct. I am also interested in how the value of these narratives has been recognized in narrative therapy. Narrative therapy operates on the belief that our identities are constructed through the stories we tell ourselves and that these stories can either empower or hinder us (Psych Central, 2022).
I explore the process of memory formation through a process of depictive doubling, relying on a technique called ‘memory drawing’.I start my first draft by drawing purely from memory without any prompt. Subsequently, I rely on non-pictorial prompts such as diary entries, conversations, or smells to trace back my memories and form more concrete images of objects or events. As I proceed, I map the process of my memory formation by adding layers to my paintings. The result is layered compositions.
These ideas manifest in my practice as an exploration of combining narratives I form through the process of memory formation with in-depth research into the language of materials. Silk is a particularly important aspect of my practice. The translucency of silk simulates the unreliability of my memory and the gap between what I visually observe and what is encoded in my memories. Additionally, as a Peranakan, silk is an important part of my culture and is symbolic of generational memory. Hence, I am interested in how I can manipulate such material properties to support my research subject.
All in all, I hope to evoke a sense of nostalgia and create an intimate space for viewers to situate themselves within, thereby creating a private space for self-discovery.
Citation
Psych Central. (2022). What Is Narrative Therapy? [online] Available at: https://psychcentral.com/health/narrative-therapy#:~:text=Narrative%20therapy%20seeks%20to%20help.