62W x 83H cm
Resin and Acrylic on Polyester Mesh

In conjunction with the theme of celebration, the work was painted in a colorful palette to enhance the vibrant mood. I take inspiration from the coral spawning. Once a year, usually a few nights after the full moon, all the coral on the reef spawns at once in a dazzling display. Billions of tiny cells shoot out of corals throughout the reef in a synchronized mass event, pouring into the sea like champagne bubbles and slowly rising to the surface. The phenomenon is reminiscent of an underwater eruption with billions of colorful globules popping in cascades of pink, turquoise, yellow, and orange.

Fish, crabs, and invertebrate predators pounce on these lipid-rich candies. The bonanza of richness has begun. These kaleidoscopic blizzards are nature's most elusive wonders, an iconic celebration of life. I am fascinated by the abundance of life and try to reflect this energetic spirit in my work.

The sea slug, in particular, is a marine invertebrate that is also one of the most resilient species on earth. Its strong regenerative power allows itself to multiply upon suffering impact.

ABOUT

Koh Kai Ting’s practice focuses on creating visual narratives that explore the conflict between individual happiness and the expectations of society. Looking at the source of pleasure and its psychological trajectory through philosophical texts and her observations of society, Koh’s works question the importance of importance of happiness to one’s life and how much of happiness is under personal control.

Her work is influenced by the sociological and psychoanalysis theories of Spinoza and Freud. Juxtaposing the gratified emotions with bondage and animal as metaphors for human desire, her recent paintings highlight the destructive instinct as part of the unconscious structures of pleasure, hence gaining pleasure through pain.

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