SELF-CONFESSED paper addict Ceres Lau loves everything and anything that has to do with paper.
The infinite possibilities of what can be done with this mundane material challenges her to push boundaries, and create artistic bodies of work.
The 28-year-old uses paper as the primary medium for every project she gets, experimenting and transforming it for the purposes of advertising, and even as works of fine art, while striving to present the many beautiful aspects of paper.
What is it about paper that intrigues you?
“Paper is often misunderstood and misinterpreted as something that is fragile and weak. On the contrary, it’s an extremely versatile medium to work with. By cutting, folding and curving, you can easily transform a piece of paper into amazing art pieces.
“It never ceases to amaze me – the possibilities of paper which we always take for granted. I am still in the midst of exploring this medium, and I don’t consider myself a professional, but I strive to present the many beautiful aspects of papers.”
Where do you get your inspiration?
“Having to grow up in Kuching, Sarawak my entire life, nature has been a huge inspiration in both my artist and design work.
“It was only recently that I find it hard to separate myself from anything nature-related, and unknowingly, it has been my main inspiration [all] this while.
“I am always eager to learn about individuals from all walks of life, and of course, knowing and witnessing their work process inspires me even more.
“It [never fails] to amaze me that there will always be something which we can learn from everyone and anyone, no matter who they are.”
Is it hard to source for the specific type of papers you prefer?
“Yes, there’re only two art shops in Kuching that sell the papers and there isn’t much to choose from.
“However, it is also because of this that I learned to embrace the limitations and make use of what’s available, striving to create the best artwork even without being exposed to more [options].
“As I follow a strict rule of using only acid-free archival papers for my projects, sourcing out quality ones in all shades of colours has definitely become a problem for me in the long run.
“I often travel to West Malaysia or Singapore whenever I need to stock up my papers, but [RJ Papers in Kuala Lumpur] has made it easier for me to get hold of the high-quality papers I need for my projects.”
Tell us about your most recent exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“Given the theme of ‘literature’, I was inspired by the book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
“The art installation I did, Bloom, depicts the process of finding and achieving a flow, a consciousness of satisfaction that can also be [perceived] as a constant meditative movement.
“[It is inspired] by various patterns, structures and shapes found in plants, organisms, and cells; the combination found in nature to create work that explores the balance, harmony and connectivity of the flow to life.
“I find the flow is like the blooming from a seed to a flower – a growth similar to my own when I discovered paper art.
“By using white-coloured papers, it expresses the process; unnoticeable, something that we can feel but can’t see, yet it is something that is already there waiting to unfold.”
What’s the difference between a designer and an artist?
“I would say they are very different but still similar in many ways.
“[What] separates a designer and an artist is that art is an act of freedom and self-expression.
“It is perceptual, something that can connect to different people in many different ways, establishing emotional connections between artist and audiences.
“Art is a question to a problem, whereas design is a solution to a problem. Design is more empathetic, and more towards on solving the relationship between human and things.
“Having said that, I still think that design and art cannot exist without one another, there have to be elements of design in art and vice versa, or else it wouldn’t be what it is.”
