Self taught or art school?
Self taught. I graduated with a BA (Hons) in Visual Communication from Birmingham City University (BCU), UK, and I was major in Graphic Design. Upon my return to my home country, Malaysia, I started my career as a graphic designer in the advertising industry and moved on to be an Art Director then a Creative Director in several major international agencies. I have never picked up a paintbrush until roughly five years ago when I needed a painting in the living room of my new apartment and decided to make my own piece.
As much as I have not received any formal training in fine art, but after years of experience in the advertising industry as a creative profession, I have always possessed the raw passion and instinct for colours, forms, composition and beauty. And at the same time, I was sensing burnout from the stressful advertising lifestyle and seeking to break free from it. After much trepidation, I finally took a heartfelt leap to pursue my own artistic path as an artist.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
This is a tough choice, as it changes from time to time. As of now, I would probably pick the ‘red’ painting 14.12.59 by the Chinese-French artist Zao Wou-Ki. The rising red in the painting evokes such a powerful and energetic force of life and passion, and the white burst as the focal point sparks hope and possibility – a very empowering piece of art.
How would you describe your style?
My work tends to explore the boundaries of thought and emotion in its purest abstraction, providing viewers with a multi-layered visual experience, and establishing a connection on both an emotional and intellectual level by wielding bold strokes, colour fields and composition that challenge perceptual parameters.
Where are your favourite places to view art?
The most unforgettable experience will be Tate Modern in London, the Louvre, Le Centre Pompidou in Paris. I can stay there for days just to have myself lost in such grand magnificent world of art. I also like to wander down the streets in cities I visit, exploring every nook and corner, going to markets and bazaars, or sit at the sidewalk cafes to people-watch and just to observe life as it is. I always believe that you can’t truly understand art without appreciating life, as art is part of life and life to art.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
Just to name a few…
– Mark Rothko, for his atmospheric colour field creation of time and space – some of my work in the early stage is very much influenced by him.
– Zao Wou-Ki, for the depth of his paintings that project a vital and organic quality through light, space and movement which offers a visual shock to the senses.
– Ai Weiwei, for his fearlessness to expand the definition of art to include new forms of social engagement and calls attention to human rights violations on an epic scale.
– Pierre Soulages, for his boldness and simplicity in his work.
What or who inspires your art?
Anything and anyone can be my source of inspiration. Literature, a song or a movie I recently watched, a story I heard from a friend, a memory, an experience, or even the moon that’s hanging up in the sky when I look out my window – anything that sparks the epiphany to create.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
I work from home. I turned the lanai (an open-spaced patio) in the apartment into my art studio, which overlooks to a large size swimming pool and surrounded by palm trees. When pairing it with a glass of cocktail, it gives an illusion of being in a tropical holiday – not a bad environment to create art – can’t complain much about it. However, it does have it’s limited space, hence the size of my work is very much restricted by the size of my studio at the moment.
Do you have any studio rituals?
I need a clear mind and a certain level of peace in me when it comes to painting. I can’t create when my anxiety is running high and when I’m stressed or depressed. When I’m in my studio, I would usually start with some random scribbling or sketching with anything I could get hold of, like charcoal, or any paintbrush – a warmup exercise just to get myself into the rhythm before I move on to work on a new or existing piece. I will usually have some music to get me in the mood which ranges from classical to lounge music, to heavy metal – the choice of music usually relies on my state of mind at that moment which sometimes does affect the outcome of my work.
What are you working on currently?
Initially, I was supposed to have my (very first) solo exhibition in April and May 2020. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic of Covid-19, our government has announced a nationwide lockdown since 18 March, hence the exhibition had to be put on hold until further notice.
With so much going on around the world so swiftly and drastically, as an artist (or even anyone), it’s impossible not to get affected by it on every level – it changes the whole dynamic of my work creation, in terms of perspective, state of mind (and being), values, outlook…etc, and it’s pretty overwhelming at times. As I’m still trying to process all this, and I’m learning to try to take it one day at a time and let my heart lead the way, and who knows what it may lead to when we come out on the other side.
Where can we buy your art?
You can obtain my art through these sites:
https://theartling.com/en/artists/peisy-ting/
Also, you can write to me for artwork inquiries through peisyting@gmail.com
What are your ambitions?
Just like any artist, I certainly wish to be given more opportunities to expose my work and being recognised to a wider audience locally and internationally – which subsequently allows me to continue to seek more growth and evolution in my practice to produce work that connects to viewers on a deeper level.
