A blooming success
WHEN Yvonne Chong Shi Qi was little, she loved to sketch but her family used to tease her about her ‘ugly’ drawings.
Little did anyone foresee that years later, Chong would have her own solo exhibition of her works, only this time, produced digitally.
The 22-year-old grand prize winner of Nando’s Art Initiative 2014 in the digital art category is currently exhibiting her collection of artworks themed Garden of Goddesses .
Today is the last day the exhibition is open to the public for viewing and purchase at Lot 123, Nando’s Chinatown.
Chong was on hand to give an insight into the inspiration behind her work and what the future holds for her at the exhibition’s launch event recently.
The graphic design student said putting up her work for public display was an amazing yet nerve-racking experience.
Her pieces have a fantasy, dreamlike imagery, featuring goddesses from Greek and Norse mythology.
Each illustration is imbued with nature and vibrant colours in intricate floral elements strongly inspired by Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).
“Kahlo specialises in self-portraits interspersed with lots of nature, but I wanted to turn it into something new using digital technology,” said Chong.
“Rather than using my own portrait, I thought I would feature these goddesses instead.”
Chong added that her fascination with the mythical world of fairytales stemmed from the fantasy video games she grew up playing.
“There’s a video game called Valkyrie Profile which features unique gods and goddesses from Norse mythology, and it spurred me to research their history and what each goddess represents. I found it intriguing and I wanted to portray that through my style.”
Who is her favourite goddess? “Freyja,” she said, without missing a beat. “As the goddess of love and fertility, she is strong and passionate. She is the icon of a strong woman.”
In essence, that’s what Chong’s artwork is about – women empowerment – portrayed through the goddesses who represent so much of what women aspire to be.
“I also want to create awareness of the beauty of nature through my artwork. I love being outdoors; I’d rather be in a forest than the city,” the Subang Jaya girl said.
Each piece takes about a week or two to complete, from the drawing block to the final product, and involves extensive research.
“When I’ve chosen a specific goddess, I read up on her character and personality, and browse through artwork on websites like Deviantart or Pinterest to see how others portray her,” she added.
“On paper, I sketch out the entire drawing based on my own interpretation. Then, I draw it out again on my tablet and use Photoshop to create the final product.”
The trademark soft feminine features of her work is peppered with elements of surrealism, inspired by Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali (1904-1989), another artist whose work she admires.
“I really like the idea of surrealism and the art nouveau movement, so I try to include these elements as well in my pieces.”
But Chong wasn’t always so sure of her personal art style, admitting to only finding her distinctive style through the Nando’s Art Initiative, which was the first competition she entered since starting college.
“Winning the contest definitely gave me that extra boost of confidence in terms of my trademark style, and opened more doors for me to take part in other competitions.”
Since then, she’s won the DBKL Logo Design competition last year and has participated in other contests including the Creative Wau Design Competition 2014, UOB Painting of the Year and Conqueror Design Awards.
A local digital artist whom she looks up to is Lokamade, who coincidentally is among the panel of judges for the Nando’s Art Initiative this year.
Judging from her accomplishments, Chong is set to be a force to be reckoned with in the art scene.
However, she encountered her fair share of struggles in her journey, such as trying to convince her parents to allow her to pursue a career in art.
Chong, who will be graduating in August this year, said: “When I first told my parents that I wanted to study art and design, they were quite reluctant.
“They kept advising me to take up a more practical course like engineering, but I was determined to follow my passion. Of course, they are very supportive and proud of me now.”
Art is a form of self-expression for her and serves as an escape when she is feeling angry or upset.
Asked about her hopes for the future, Chong said she plans to make a name for herself and showcase her artworks to a wider audience.
“Maybe, one day, I’ll get to exhibit internationally … that’s my ultimate dream!”
She advises budding artists to “pursue what you love, believe in your passion and never give up”.