“Oriental Fan Dancer I” 

Original oil and mixed media on canvas   81cm x 81cm S$2800.00

During an annual Chingay Parade event I was fortunate to see back stage some of the performers practising their dance routines. There was a troop of Korean fan dancers and one particular dancer had her back to me and I managed to photograph her while she displayed both fans. It was such a strong image that it inspired me to paint this picture. I wanted to capture the strength of the pose and represent the beautiful flowing dress which she was wearing. The embroidered patterns were so colourful and intricate and have suggested these elements in the painting. The image has a design element to it and wanted to frame the dancer with simple colour patterns. I have emphasised the cloth in the painting by using an under layer of mixed media. This gives the dress a three dimension feel.