Lin Hsin Hsin, Jelly Fish and Octopus, 1993
Oil on paper
29 x 37.5 cm (visible), 50 x 62 x 2 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good, with mould present within the frame, reframing is advised.
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Animals recur across Lin Hsin Hsin's work from this period, treated in a whimsical, often satirical way as part of her broader interest in the natural world. Rather than realistic depiction, these figures sit within loosely abstract, brightly coloured grounds, closer to visual commentary than illustration.
Here that same interest plays out through soft watercolour-like blobs suggesting bubbles or water, with a jellyfish and octopuses drifting through the composition and a single turtle tucked into the corner, continuing the loose, abstracted treatment of nature characteristic of her work.
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Lin Hsin Hsin 林欣欣 (Singaporean, b. 1952) is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist renowned for her pioneering work across diverse media, including early innovations in digital art for visual and performing arts. With a foundation in mathematics and computer science, she is also an accomplished poet and composer, finding a shared abstractness in art, mathematics, and music.
Her artistic journey began in childhood but took shape after high school, when she delved into oil painting under the guidance of Nanyang-style pioneer Cheong Soo Pieng (Singaporean, 1917–1983). Inspired by European masters like Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Joan Miró—who also explored the intersections of music and mathematics—Lin developed a unique approach to abstraction.
Her oil paintings from the 1970s to 1990s are marked by vibrant chromaticism and rhythmic compositions, reflecting philosophical meditations on the complexities of contemporary life in Singapore. Lin’s work stands as a significant contribution to Singapore’s post-independence arts landscape.
(Photographed in April 2026)