I focus on natural subjects from a “zoomed-in” or unorthodox perspective. From this point of view, I investigate the complexity of organisms and organic systems. In a sense, I get a bird’s-eye view of a new landscape. There is a battle between order and chaos that takes place here, guided by evolution. Whether it’s fish guts or the city of Hong Kong, complex systems fascinate me. Inevitably, the zoom-ins can function from a purely abstract and aesthetic perspective as intriguing compositions or sfumato assortments of shapes and color. From these altered or magnified perspectives, we lose dimensionality. The illusionistic effect of depth is lost or obscured, and the image flattens into a plane. To encourage the element of abstraction and to appeal to my own Impressionistic preferences, I employ simplification, visible brushstrokes, and a variety of surface textures. This further draws attention to the surface, away from the representation. There is a tension between the flatness conveyed in the paint application and cropping; and the representational aspect of the image.

The result is a scene of abundant activity. This requires the viewer to slow down considerably in order to take it all in, more akin to the speed of reading than, say, watching a movie. By bringing the gradual inevitability of evolutionary time into the technologically-enhanced and temporary complexity of everyday life, I am provoked to question my perception of the world and what really drives me. How does one align the slow unpredictability of natural processes with the fast volatility of modern civilization?