Artist Statement
Ode to Thee was the first painting I created after my husband’s passing, a time when words felt inadequate to hold the shock and devastation. Left with three school-going children, I felt as though we were drifting at sea without our captain, carried by uncertainty and grief. There were so many things I longed to say, yet no way to reach him.

This painting emerged spontaneously, without sketch or planning, as an instinctive response to that silence. A real boat, a paper boat, and an origami crane move quietly toward a lotus, each form carrying a different weight of meaning: the tangible and the fragile, the grounded and the fleeting. Together, they suggest a gentle act of reaching out, as if sending a message across distance.

The work holds both sorrow and tenderness, a reflection of love that does not end, only changes form. Within it is a quiet hope: that beyond separation, there remains a way to connect, and perhaps, one day, to meet again.


Artist Profile
Yen Chua (b. 1971, Singapore) is an artist and art therapist whose work explores themes of compassion, healing, mythology, and the inner life. She studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute and later pursued Chinese painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, experiences that shaped a visual language informed by both Eastern and Western traditions.

Working primarily in painting and mixed media, Yen’s artworks often draw upon imagery from nature, animals, and spiritual symbolism. Her practice reflects a contemplative engagement with questions of suffering, resilience, and transformation.

Alongside her studio practice, Yen has worked as an art therapist in Singapore for nearly two decades. She was among the pioneer cohort of the MA Art Therapy programme at LASALLE College of the Arts. Her therapeutic work has engaged diverse communities including children with special needs, cancer patients, elderly residents, incarcerated individuals, and patients in hospitals.

Yen currently serves as a part-time lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts and National Institute of Education while continuing her practice as both artist and art therapist.

This stunning artwork is up for sale as part of a fundraising initiative by The Red Pencil (Singapore), a non-profit that empowers children and
communities through creative arts therapy. 100% of the proceeds would go towards The Red Pencil (Singapore). For more information, please visit The Red Pencil (Singapore) website.

This artwork listing is proudly sponsored by aoART as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts.

Year: 2023

Country: Singapore

Dimensions w/o Frame (HxW cm):

76x76

Dimensions w Frame (HxW cm):

NA

Price: S$1k to S$3k

Contact Name: Shauna

Contact Email: giving@redpencil.org

Contact Mobile: 62212217

Availability: Yes

Artwork ID: 00102