"Reveal" (2024) | 168cm x 306cm | Graphite on vintage inner record sleeves
"Reveal" (2024) at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Detail from "Reveal" (2024)
"Reveal" (2024) at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Detail from "Reveal" (2024)
"Reveal" (2024) at Temu House KL
"Reveal (in brown)" (2024) | Graphite on brown paper shopping bags | 124cm x 108cm
"Reveal (in brown)" (2024) at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Detail from "Reveal (in brown)" (2024)
"The Temporal Anus" (2024) | Graphite on brown paper shopping bags | 124cm x 108cm
"The Temporal Anus" (2024) at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Detail from "The Temporal Anus" (2024)
"Reveal (in blue)" (2024) | Blue ballpoint ink on recycled A4 paper
"Reveal (in blue)" (2024) | Blue ballpoint ink on recycled A4 paper
"Reveal (in blue)" (2024) at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Working on "Reveal" (2024) in the studio at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Working on "Reveal" (2024) in the studio at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Working on "Reveal" (2024) in the studio at basis e.V. Frankfurt
Original study for "Reveal" (2024) from sketchbook
During my residency at basis e.V Frankfurt from Oct to Dec 2024, I made three major works that continued with my exploration of the subject of time.
The first of these was Reveal, which is a series of graphite drawings of an abstract eye motif on the inside of the inner sleeves of vintage records that I had collected over several years and brought with me from Malaysia. I was very drawn to the decayed quality of the paper with its yellowed stains, tears, and old glue marks.
The eye motif suggested itself to me because of the perforated holes in the paper. The design most probably came to me from my memory of seeing the wooden spirit ancestor carvings of the Mah Meri people while working as a gallery manager in Kuala Lumpur some years before. I remember being mesmerised by the way the carvings had an almost magical power.
R E V E A L
As I drew this motif repeatedly, I fell into a meditative state and for some reason in my mind I travelled back in time to when I was studying in Australia 30 years ago, remembering my youth and reliving the intensity of it.
I consider these drawings as a kind of time portal, but of course this is only my fanciful take. Doubtless, they have a strange hypnotic power.
In addition to Reveal, I made several artworks using the eye motif including The Temporal Anus, Reveal (in brown), and a four small drawings on recycled paper during the residency.
The Reveal series were originally shown in my third solo show “Time is a Donut” at basis e.V Frankfurt in December 2024. It was later shown in my fourth solo show “All Life is Recycled + Time is a Donut” in Temu House KL in June 2025.