about
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Born and raised in Taiping, Perak, Celine Choon was immersed in a
milieu of influential women who shaped her formative years,
profoundly influencing her self-perception and artistic vision. She
specializes in oil painting amongst other practices, capturing the
essence of women from her life experiences. She manipulates
photography as part of her conceptual development in the act of
painting.
Initially trained in architecture at University of Malaya, her passion of
art eventually redirected her career towards fine art studies. Graduated
from Diploma in Fine Art in Malaysian Institute of Arts, Kuala Lumpur,
the influence of former training in conceptual developments and
translation of her ideas are deeply rooted within her work.
Her works were exhibited in “Young, Wild & Free #2”, Galeri Puteh,
“HOM Art Open 2022”, Hom Art Trans, “Black and White” MIA Gallery.
She currently resides and works in Kuala Lumpur.
Education
2024
DIPLOMA in FINE ART
Malaysian institute of Arts
Kuala Lumpur
2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE in ARCHITECTURE
University of Malaya
Kuala Lumpur
2017
MATRICULATION in SCIENCE
Penang Matriculation College
PenangGroup Show
Mar 2024
“Young, Wild & Free #2”, Galeri Puteh, Kuala Lumpur
Mar 2023
“Hom Art Open 2023“, Hom Art Trans, Kuala Lumpur
Feb 2023
CNY Rabbit Lantern Design Contest, The Linc KL
Dec 2022
“Peace Painting”, Soroptimist International Club of Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Oct 2022
“Black and White”, MIA Fine Art, MIA Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Sept 2022
“Mid Autumn The Tales of The Moon”, Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur
”Mid Autumn Lantern Design Contest”, The Linc KLExperience
Jan 2024 – Apr 2024
Research Intern, Ilham Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Sept 2022
Silkscreen Printing Workshop, Pei Hwa High School
Mar 2021 – Apr 2022
Private Tutor, OnlineCommissions & Collaborations
Dec 2023
SH Gan, Private Commission
May 2021
Collaboration with Komorebi Desserts on “Mother’s Day Special”
Feb 2021 – Dec 2022
Tote Bag Commissions
Kuala LumpurCourse Certifications
2020
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), The TEFL Org
ID 138811
Bygones
In her work titled Bygones, the artist explores the themes of feminism in motherhood and nostalgia, delving into the intricate relationship between a mother and daughter. As a daughter, she reflects on the challenge of fully understanding her mother, especially before she became a mother herself.The artist employs two parallel processes to reconstruct and reinterpret her mother's past: the painting process and the pictorial outlook. By bleaching and distorting photographs, she visually manipulates them to mirror the fragmented and incomplete memories of her mother. This reflects her metaphorical exploration of what is lost and what remains intact through time and memory. Simultaneously, the artist acts as an imitator, seeking to reconstruct and relive the past while painting. This act is not just a replication of what is known; it's an attempt to empathize with her mother's past experiences and bridge the gap between her mother's identity and role.The result is a series of painted works alongside manipulated photographs with layers of oil paint, creating a sentimental narrative, memory, and lineage. Together, this process and outcome offer a poignant reflection on how daughters view their mothers. The artist challenges and reshapes traditional narratives of motherhood, highlighting the need to understand the individual woman's life before motherhood to truly comprehend motherhood itself.
Under the Filtered Lens : Perception of self identity
In this series, "Under the Filtered Lens: Perception of Self-Identity," I explore femininity through the metaphor of a filter—an analogy for the expectations placed on women by society. Like a lens that distorts colors, societal norms shape the way women are perceived in their careers, domestic roles, social circles, and even their self-view. These filters—formed by media, gossip, and cultural narratives—can obscure the deeper essence of a woman's identity, often masking her complexity and individuality.
Each figure in the series reflects the subtle dance between the filtered perceptions and the reality beneath. The graceful postures and flowing forms evoke the fluid nature of femininity, suggesting that strength and vulnerability, resilience and fragility, coexist harmoniously. My brushstrokes challenge viewers to look past the surface, beyond the colored lens, to recognize the depth, fluidity, and intricacy of women's identities. Through this body of work, I invite an introspective journey, urging us to question the societal filters and embrace the multifaceted beauty of feminine self-expression.
Derivation of Water as Subject
Water, a symbol of both fluidity and emotional depth, embodies the artist's connection to her femininity, representing both the comfort and resistance she experiences in her quest for growth and self-expression. The tension between water’s flow and resistance mirrors the societal pushback the artist faces as she defies conventional norms, emphasizing the complex interplay between external expectations and her pursuit of self-actualization.The recurring element of orchids symbolizes the many facets of the artist’s identity, from childhood to the present, while the headless figure poignantly reflects the impact of body dysmorphia on her sense of self. This figure speaks to the struggle of losing sight of one’s identity when external pressures distort self-perception.Depicting the body floating in water, the artwork becomes a metaphor for surrendering to the ebb and flow of both personal and societal expectations. This surrender leads to a quiet acceptance, as the artist embraces the complexities of her physical form and finds peace in the stillness of self-acceptance.
Liberation in Restraint
Candle Melting as a metaphor of the fluid flows with the gravity. Candle melts morphs with its environmental factors and changes. It can be rebuild, reshape, re-sculpt. A metaphor for my perception of feminine identity. Weaving as the visual representation of how I struggle with a feminine craft as how I battle the gender expectation of how I view myself. My aim is to liberate myself from the action of weaving, which requires a lot of the idleness and meticulousness, which represented the restriction I felt as a female in the society.
Exploration of femininity
This piece represents another experiment in challenging both my patience and craftsmanship, echoing how femininity has historically been valued through delicate forms like embroidery. In this dual-gender embroidery, I explore the balance between traditional male-dominated roles and the recognition of gender and sexuality as a fluid spectrum. The gradual transition of the spectrum is mirrored in the embroidery, starting with meticulously organized stitches that evolve into a chaotic finish.The act of sewing itself challenges my identity, pushing me to embrace both the feminine and masculine aspects within myself. The contrast between black threads and linen cloth symbolizes a duality where opposites complement each other. The front and back of the embroidery tell different narratives—just as societal expectations of gender present one story on the surface while hiding deeper layers beneath. These contrasting perspectives reflect the intersection of gender norms and the structures that shape our civilizations.
