Tilt
2018
Ink, Graphite and Charcoal on Archival Paper

Tilt engages with the square as a central geometric form within my practice. The work emerged from a recurrent observation of the omnipresence of this square form and its grid structure within our everyday built environment. During the time, these structures, especially for me, seemed to reappear everywhere, be it in the form of architectural layouts, residential floor tiles, or even the conventional measurement units like square feet and square metres. It was at this point that I decided to pause, reflect and uncover where this line of thought was coming from.

Here the square became compelling precisely because of its apparent rigidity and whose very disruption is enquired through this work. The work is constructed through processes of division, shift and rotation, removing certain sections from an otherwise recognisable form. Yet the square continues to persist perceptually, as the eye attempts to visually connect separated fragments and reconstruct its absent portions. And this is where the beauty of the work lies, as it can be repeatedly divided, multiplied, scaled, fitted and rearranged within itself and each other, all while still retaining its essential geometry.

What appears to be a fragmented geometry therefore remains psychologically whole. Through the act of rotation, displacement, and tilting, the series of works shifts the attention away from the geometry itself towards the inner act of perceiving it. In the process, what fundamentally changes is not the formal geometry but the way we experience it. Tilt explores the tension between what is materially present and what is traversed through our perception and movement. The order of framing and installation too, is deliberately disrupted in the works. This disruption in alignment further examines our understanding of grid structures and symmetry which inherently is rooted in square, as we navigate through everyday spaces.