Based on my experiences with swimming, Entropy examines the feelings of anxiety, stress and physical pressure associated with competitive sport. My body of work explores various interpretations of physical and psychological confusion. I used textiles, paint, graphite and ink to represent the sensation of pain, and textiles to express the feeling of being underwater. Through the chaotic drawings and series on wood I investigated the physical exertion of the body. The abstract forms and rough-hewn edges are intended to represent a person whose mental state is in turmoil.

Cambodia appears to be a nation of charming and confounding people, but look deeper and it is a country of contradictions. Light and dark, rich and poor, old and young, traditional and contemporary. Most telling of all is the evidence of the nation’s tragic past set against the splendours of its present. My body of work represents a collection of postcards detailing every aspect of Khmer life, as a tribute to all Cambodians. An offering of pride, a message of hope, with a measure of admiration for my culture and its history. A love letter to the Kingdom of Wonder.

Reflecting on the past, using the aesthetics of monochrome, I’ve explored the central aspects of South Korean society in my ‘triptych’ body of work. The work represents my personal experiences in South Korea with the title, Origins, emphasising my deep connection to the country. It is my central concept as I spent the first eight years of my life there. The small details integrated into the work are intended to engage the audience to look deeper to find small details and ‘Easter eggs’ that provide slight and subtle insights into my own specific life.

In Nothing to See my intent was to examine society’s ignorance and constant denial when faced with subjects of mental health. The protagonist in my body of work is a girl who can see peoples’ emotions as monstrous manifestations. She refuses to acknowledge her decaying world as she is perpetually haunted by her mental demons. My work represents a secretive world in which the individual needs to explore many layers to realise what's truly beneath.

Collision: Fragments of Cobalt explores the misalignment between perceptions of the self and reality. In my body of work, I express my own transcultural experiences to reach a deeper understanding of self and connectivity to culture. The traditional Chinese and Vietnamese motifs pay homage to an integral part of my identity that often collides with the Western world. Ceramic fragments represent the fragility of our internal world, while distorted and dreamlike images represent psychological tension. The monochromatic colour palette is grounded in cobalt blue, referencing traditional porcelain practices.

My body of work is a set of portraits of family members and myself. It explores the similarities and differences between people and how we express ourselves in our role as an artist or creator. My work represents the connection between our personalities, our craft and our passion for that craft. What we do for enjoyment and what we do to survive are defining parts of our identities and how we are viewed by others. My overall intent is for the audience to be able to gain a sense of each distinct personality and character from these four portraits.

My body of work explores the current disconnection between people despite the world being in its most connected, globalised state. The pandemic has heightened social disconnection with the need for physical distancing, producing isolation characterised by fear, confusion, discomfort and reflection. Each painting in my work represents the subject in their own world. Though positioned in a cluster, their gazes are never shown to directly meet, remaining averted from both the audience and each other, expressing a sense of detachment from the world around them. Unique brushwork and colour palettes for each work represent the subjectivity of our inner experiences.

My body of work was inspired by the idea that childhood experiences only exist temporarily but simultaneously transcend time through memory. Representing my younger sister at times when she was so absorbed in the wonder of the moment that she was almost enclosed within a world of her own, my work examines the single moments of heightened expression that may act to trigger memories. Each piece expresses a unique story, with the charcoal figures in the background representing how, with the transient nature of memory, some recollections inevitably fade and fragment.

Admitting to having a mental health condition still carries negative connotations despite all the awareness and research. My body of work expresses anxiety and other mental disorders as beautiful flaws, part of one’s identity, something that makes you … you. Realising that everyone in some way experiences anxiety dismantles the common misconception that mental disorders are only for the few. Representing personal symptoms that I have experienced as different types of suit jackets and a blanket, my intent is to demonstrate that anxiety is like clothes: without them you are naked; without them you are not yourself.

When we see what happens in our subconscious as reality, it forms a unique, individual imaginative world, although it may be twisted or exaggerated. My body of work explores the struggle of stepping out of my comfort zone. Such a ‘small’ thing as raising a hand in class is an extreme challenge of overcoming fear, expressed in my work as a battle, facing the distorted self as the enemy who always laughs at the cowardly, pessimistic past. The door which represents courage is close at hand. The character exhausts all her strength to reach it, but her run will continue.