NGAI NING YU
BA Fine Art Painting, Camberwell
Glimpse 01; Glimpse 02; If only I knew; You just came in, 2024 Oil on canvas
In her latest series of paintings exploring the concept of ‘The Home’, Ngai Ning Yu works from photographs and memories of the places she has inhabited. She portrays the emptiness of home interiors and investigates a sense of temporality as it relates to the idea of living in a rented, hence borrowed space.
In the absence of human intervention, all that remains are fragments of presence ingrained into the space as evidence of what once was. ‘My mother’s nightgown hangs on the back of a door; a basket of towels is reflected in the shower glass.’ Lingering shadows suggestive of human presence interrupt the sameness of these spaces, which are also complimented by the ephemeral representation of light. The relatability of this solitary experience is accentuated by the paintings’ archetypal resemblance to a space comfortingly familiar, leaving viewers to reside in their universal resonance with the shadows of past occurrences. As the paintings feel haunted by the shadows of its human tenants, the isolation of humans living in contemporary society can be explored.
Artist Bio
“My paintings verbalise the hidden images that can be triggered by certain sensory experiences. Despite the detachment that comes from accumulated lived experiences, certain triggers like the cast of light can bring me back to an impression of home.” This peculiar manifestation of imagery from an emotional response forms the beginning of Ngai Ning Yu’s creative process, and the grey area between memory and invention is where her paintings reside.