Meet Local Artist Louisa Raj

Every issue, GRAZIA Singapore highlights a Game Changer who inspires, educates and celebrates individuality, beauty and style. This month, meet Louisa Raj, the painter who elevates everyday items found in Singapore, by weaving them into symbols of nostalgia and growth with her art pieces.

GRAZIA Singapore (GS): How does it feel to be a finalist for the 2024 UOB Painting Of The Year competition?
Louisa Raj (LR): Last year, I took part and was shortlisted as an Emerging Artist. So to be shortlisted as one of the finalists under the Established Artist category this year is a very deep honour, because it’s a community that’s very close to my heart. It’s incredible.

GS: Tell us more about your Mahjong (2024) series and its significance.
LR: This Mahjong series is about acknowledging the abundance in my life. When I first started painting this series, I had a friend come over, and she [casually] commented, “Hey, you’re painting a mahjong table?” But what she didn’t realise, or what I think most people don’t realise, at first glance, is that the mahjong tiles that face you form a winning set. What I wanted to portray with this painting is that in life, we often chase after the next goal post. But perhaps we have already won. It’s staring at us, but do we even know that we have won? It is a gentle reminder for people to reflect on how lucky they are in their lives. It’s easy to take these things for granted, especially when we live in Singapore.

When I posted the artwork on Tiktok, I received a lot of positive feedback online, from people who resonated with the message of the paintings—this is the most fulfilling part of my art journey.

GS: Why have you chosen local objects of nostalgia as subjects in your work?
LR: The Recalling Joy Of 90s Nostalgia series was a subtle goodbye to my childhood. The items (in those paintings) were al things that I used to love when I was a kid, but in the process of growing up, one day, I just stopped reaching out for them. Again, this series was interesting because it felt like a shared experience for a lot of people who grew up in Singapore. Even though we al live our own lives, [with these objects] it’s the same stories we have, the same experiences with these objects.

GS: What does realism mean to you beyond physical accuracy?
LR: When I first started doing realism, some people would be like, “Oh, right now with cameras, why are people still painting realism? I could just take a picture and just frame it up, right?” From my point of view, [realism] is all about the technique of the artist. It may look like a picture from afar. But if you look closely, you will start noticing the texture of different brushstrokes. They may almost look random, but they come together when you take a step back, and I just find that really fascinating.

GS: How does realism communicate your personal message as an artist?
LR: I’ve always been more of a mathematics person; I am someone who likes structure and form. Even when I look at artworks, I usually gravitate towards those kind of paintings. So the messages in my paintings are straightforward—there’s no ambiguity there. I try to articulate that in a very clear way, through realism.

GS: How do you see the local art scene evolving, especially in the digital space?
LR: When it comes to the art scene in Singapore, there definitely is a rising trend of more digital and NFT works. There are a lot of incredible local artists in that space, [including] Shavonne Wong, Sam Lo and Ellis Liu. These people are role models and are paving the way for the rest of us. I really appreciate digital media and digital artworks; they are just so aesthetically pleasing.
In general, I am also seeing a lot of government effort to support artists, in terms of opportunities and grants. A few years back, if you were into the arts, it was almost a frowned-upon thing. Now, I think it is very celebrated.

This story first appeared in GRAZIA Singapore’s October print issue.

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