SINGAPORE: Maybe Louisa Raj is finest identified for turning on a regular basis objects, comparable to say, rice packaging or a bottle of Tiger Balm, into artistic endeavors.
Whereas the touchdown web page of her web site reads, “I paint peculiar issues,” her artist’s eye is towards turning these objects into symbols of tradition and identification.
Ms Raj was shortlisted as a finalist for the UOB Portray of the Yr in 2023 and 2024, and final 12 months, was commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board to create a mural for the F1 Singapore Grand Prix.
@louisarajart Somebody commented on my TikTok saying that they had a challenge for me and to test my DMs. Thank goodness I noticed it and replied. It turned out to be a 15-metre digital mural commissioned by Singapore tourism Board @Go to Singapore for the F1 Singapore hospitality suite. The temporary was a nostalgic espresso store scene from Nineteen Eighties Singapore. As an enormous F1 fan who watches each race, i nonetheless can’t consider it. #singaporeartist #formula1 #singaporegp #nightrace
♬ unique sound – MOTORSPORT FILES
It could be simple to then see Ms Raj, whose debut solo artwork exhibition, “Rice is Good,” opened on January 17 at Wasuka Artwork, by way of the rose-coloured glasses folks put on after they see artists. Besides that her story is sort of totally different, and he or she made the transition from the company world to a full-time artist with the identical precision and care with which she provides every of her work.
Ms Raj labored for a few years in actuarial science and expertise. Largely self-taught as an artist, she labored on her work within the evenings and on weekends, that includes her course of and progress on her Instagram and TikTok accounts.
This caught the eye of others, and gross sales and commissions, comparable to one from a person who requested her to color his core reminiscences from his major college years, adopted.
@louisarajart That is your signal to show your reminiscence right into a portray! DM me for those who’re desirous about it 🙂 I’m opening up a number of fee slots earlier than my subsequent exhibition. #singaporeartist #acrylicpainting #realism #nostalgia
♬ Storytelling – Adriel
In March 2025, when she had extra demand for her art work than what could possibly be dealt with other than her company job, and together with her financial savings in place, she made the deliberate option to step away from her job. “When these items got here collectively — consistency of labor, clear demand, and sensible readiness — I knew it was time,” she stated.
“I knew I wished to be a painter for the remainder of my life. I believe lots of people are sitting with that very same feeling as we speak — one thing they care deeply about that doesn’t match neatly right into a job title.
On the similar time, there’s actual financial uncertainty, so leaving a steady job isn’t one thing folks take frivolously. I didn’t reject construction or stability. I labored inside it for a very long time, whereas slowly constructing one thing that mattered to me, till it grew to become clear what I wanted to decide to,” the artist added.
Whereas nonetheless at her job, she additionally did all the things she might to find out about Singapore’s artwork scene, which meant visiting galleries and exhibitions frequently, in addition to talking to collectors and different artists to see how the artwork world functioned.
Some years earlier than making her determination, she additionally took a 10-month hiatus from the company world, which gave her an concept of what the lifetime of an artist can be like and what she was prepared for.
Rice is Good
In her exhibition catalogue, Ms Raj references a Tang dynasty poem by Li Shen: 锄禾日当午，汗滴禾下土；谁知盘中餐，粒粒皆辛苦 (The farmer works underneath the noon solar, sweat falling onto the soil; who is aware of that each grain of meals on the plate comes from laborious labour).
This explains her strategy to her topic, she clarified. Whereas rice can fade into the background of our lives, producing it requires “sustained effort and labour.”
“By portray rice packaging at a a lot bigger scale and with hyper-realistic element, I wished to gradual folks down. The work might really feel acquainted and even light-hearted at first, however beneath that’s an curiosity in effort, repetition, and care.”
As to what she hopes folks will take away from the exhibition, she stated “answering a calling isn’t about making a dramatic exit. It’s about recognising what you’re already giving your time to and being sincere about whether or not you’re prepared to maintain exhibiting up for it. There’s no shortcut. No matter path you select will demand dedication, accountability, and sacrifice.”
Ms Raj’s exhibition runs till February 15, 2026. /TISG
Learn additionally: President Halimah Yacob inaugurates solo exhibit of Cultural Medallion winner, artist Goh Beng Kwan
