Painting was her escape. Her father was only home in Ipoh once or twice a year because of work while Mum was busy with her job and keeping the family running. Her siblings were significantly older and had their own interests. “Most days, it was just me and the empty walls,” Chan Karwai reminisces.
One day, after seeing Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’, she felt a surge of inspiration well up inside her. “It felt like the painting was speaking to me,” Chan says. She picked up a paintbrush, wanting to continue that conversation. Slowly, she found solace as well as meaning with every stroke. She never took official lessons.
When Chan uploaded her paintings on social media to share with the world, she wasn’t expecting any attention. Her talent, however, generated a buzz. She even had people reach out to her about buying her work, which usually sold for RM650 (S$186.30) to RM850.
“I was 14 years old back then, so I felt like a millionaire,” Chan laughs.
It was only after a charity auction in Singapore at The Fullerton Hotel that Chan believed she could pursue a full-time career in art. Someone paid $4,000 for her piece. Although it wasn’t a large sum, it boosted her confidence, knowing that people wanted to buy her work. It made her realise the value of her art. Despite not being in the big leagues yet, that young girl from Ipoh was on her way.
Chan receives commissions from all over the world today. Inspired by her own experiences and encounters with people, she creates surreal pieces and portraits.
She’s also an avid Formula 1 fan and has done several pieces related to the motor sport. Her largest painting is a satire of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’. Instead of Jesus and his disciples, Chan depicted past and present race car drivers.
“The inspiring stories of each racer captivate me. I’m also fascinated by the meticulous workmanship involved in creating the cars and engines,” says Chan.
One of her favourite commissions is a collaboration with McLaren Kuala Lumpur. It provided a working McLaren GT as her canvas and Chan painted majestic waves and soaring birds on the doors, bonnet, and trunk. She was inspired by the intricacy of Chinese porcelain and Hokusai’s iconic ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’. The piece took 200 hours to complete and was unveiled in 2022. After the event, she digitalised the art on the car so it would live forever.
There is a saying: art is a lie that tells the truth. Chan believes everyone has their respective truths and separate interpretations. But the human condition remains the same. She says, “Through this shared experience, I hope to create a meaningful dialogue about the diverse facets of our humanity.”
