Stepping Out of the Mainstream

Grace Neo, @burnedupwalls

“I used to be inspired by photos and works of other photographers. However I came to realise that I was starting to replicate what’s already been produced. Instead, I try to search for inspiration through other means such as books and music these days.”

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“My works often encompass contemplativeness. I think the reason why quiet moments stand out to me is because of the hectic lifestyle in Singapore which I have become so routinized with. So capturing and portraying fleeting moments of solitude has become a form of comfort for me - and hopefully for the audience as well.”

Grace is inspired by Haruki Murakami. For her, his work describes her idea in producing digital art. “I wouldn’t say I live by this but I think it describes my process as of now.”

“It’s precisely because of the pain, precisely because we want to overcome that pain, that we can get the feeling, through this process, of really being alive - or at least a partial sense of it.” - Haruki Murakami

Grace is someone who could easily adapt to situations. She could create a new environment to her advantage and still create beautiful images. Initally, she wanted to portray the idea of growing up, which includes emotions such as curiosity and sometimes acting like an adult. However, during the shoot, it started raining. She then uses that downfall to her advantage. She realised that the gloomy weather gave the images a muted mood so she decided to adapt and went ahead with it.

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Her work is often untitled as she does not want people to view her images through a narrow and fixed mind. She is curious to find out what people think of her work through their own personal thoughts and feelings.

Grace is optimistic for the near future and is open to work with new opportunites for her to contribute.

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When asked about the future creatives in Singapore, Grace hopes people are more open to others who are more ope to others who are simple experimenting different aesthetics, rather than following the same foot steps as another artist.

“I feel that because some issues and emotions are deemed taboo in Singapore, there’s a fear of speaking up about them. This has the power to make one feel alone whereas using art to create something around those emotions can become a way of coming to terms with oneself and possibly connecting to others!”