Artist Interview: Native Nesters by Ripple Root | Art Outreach Singapore

So I'm Estella. I'm Lee Chuan. We're Ripple's Root and we make art together. Our work is usually revolving around nature. We love things that are botanicals. We also really like the idea of Southeast Asian representation. So we love the ornamentation of tapestries. But we kind of do it in our own style, which is quite whimsical, contemporary and always rippling. So the Rippling Strokes is where our name comes from because I'm Ripple and he's Root. And because he's always kind of grounds me and he's that steady presence in my life. Always trying to find a meaning behind the painting. Beyond the Rippling Strokes, there's always a contact. There's always rooted in something a bit more serious. So the exhibition is about a concept of home, of making a home, of maybe leaving a home to find another, of protecting a home. What it feels like to be home. What makes a home. And so we aptly titled it Native Nesters. As you can see, colour plays a huge role in the work that we do. For us, it's not so much the colour, it's the relationship between the colours. We like when we pair this colour with this colour, it gives us a different kind of synergy, a different kind of energy. And that's very similar to us, right? If you see me as one colour, and you see Estella as another colour, but you put us two together, that's where the magic happens. So for us, it's not a specific colour, it is how this colour reacts to the other colour that's next to it. It's all emotional. We never mess it up. It's all what we're feeling. So for example, in these pieces, we really wanted it to go real punchy. I think because in this era, we wanted to just do it all. I think because it's been a while since we've done a personal collection of works, that we wanted to use the colours that we've been dying to use, or dying to express. But really, it's just a reflection of what's on the inside. Absolutely. And everything we've been into. Yeah. I've always wanted to publish a book to mark the 10 years of art making. I think it's been pretty memorable. I mean, a journey. And I think we're always early. So it came a little bit early, shy of our 10th year. But yeah, we're launching a book. So in this book, it's got all the paintings that you see here, but also a foreword by May Anderson, the founder of ArtRage, and we have interviews with Steve, and lots of history of our genesis, and the whole process of how the book came about, and where we're going, and how it's been. Yeah. So, get our book! People really related a lot, because I think everyone loves the idea of home, right? Because everyone's definition is so different. But also, they just love looking at every single painting, and reading the titles, and just in a very basic level, just what kind of triggers that emotion of home. And I think for us, that was basically it. Even if you are not a republic follower for a long time, even if you just stepped inside, I think you can really relate to the different themes of just coming home, nesting, and that feeling of home, right? Yeah. Someone told me that when they stepped in, they just felt that sense of optimism. And she asked, are you guys always happy? And we're like, no, it's a choice. And I think with a decade on, there has definitely been some pretty hardships, but I guess we choose to be happy. I think we choose to be optimistic. So I guess the paintings are a reflection of that, the choice to want to be optimistic. So it's not like after 10 years, there's no strife, right? There's so much strife! We've been through stuff, yeah. But I think in general, we just don't dwell on it. And I think it's an important message as well, that with every painting, we work out whatever happens, right? And then we just move on, and we just keep moving outward. So that's why we love birds. Because no matter what, they keep soaring up. I mean, we've always loved working with ArtOutreach. I think this is like our third collaboration, and it's always been a joy, because you guys just really support artists of all kind of practices, and of every stage of their career. Yeah, so coming into the space, I think, well, the space is huge. It's very overwhelming at first. You don't realise how big it is. So you get quite intimidated. But I mean, the team at ArtOutreach has been really supportive, telling us it'll be fine. For the public interaction, it's actually very crucial, because I feel like when people come in here at ArtOutreach, they do expect a participatory kind of element, which I think is great, because they can look at art, but also feel like they understand the art, and contribute to the art, which I think is the next level, you know? So I think for future applicants, I think just the space, kind of how you activate the entire space, because it's so customisable, right? The way you move everything around, and the level of mediums you can put into play, kind of the dimensionality of the space can really be so transformed. I think stay focused to your message, and then let everything sort of just come to you.