boba 101
2024
18” x 24” x 1.5”
Acrylic on wood panel
$970
Since she can remember, Jess has always loved bubble tea. From walking to the local hawkers after school as a middle schooler to driving an hour out of Los Angeles as a college student, there is no distance Jess will not travel for boba. This includes annual trips back home to the motherland of bubble tea: Taiwan. No trip back home to Taiwan is complete without drinking a concerning amount of bubble tea. But bubble tea has become more than just a delicious treat to Jess. It is a way to feel more connected to her cultural roots in Taiwan and find comfort during times of homesickness.
There is no better way to honor this adoration for bubble tea than to pair it with the ultimate architectural icon of Taiwan: Taipei 101.
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Back gate
2024
30” x 40” x 2”
Acrylic on wood panel
$1715
During her childhood in Singapore, Jess used to live in a house with this metal gate and cement steps that lead from the backyard to the school. While growing up in an international school in Singapore was incredibly enriching, there was also a sadder side where expat friends would flow in and out of Jess’ life. As a result, she created an imaginary mask to protect herself from feeling the emotions of loss. This mask looks the right way, says the right things, is always happy and pleasant. There were only a few places that saw Jess without her mask, where she gave colors her own meaning and where emotions actually came out to play. One of the places was at home. This piece, through its beauty and vibrancy, symbolizes how she had to leave her true self behind the gates each day.
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Taroko bao
2024
18” x 24” x 1.5”
Acrylic on wood panel
$710
Combining a 刈包 (guabao or pork belly bun) with 太魯閣 (Taroko gorge) may seem like a simple creative flair, but as Jess was painting, she couldn’t help but recall her distinct memories with both. Her parents took her to the Taroko gorge as a child; it’s one of those experiences that she couldn’t appreciate back then and only now wishes to go back in that moment. In her mind, this place is tied to beauty and bittersweetness. As for the bun, Jess remembers the rain and clouds overhead when her family was walking through a market, searching for the comfort of this fatty, delicious snack. Her and her brother stood under their umbrellas while they munched; it almost felt like the contrast of the gloomy weather and indulgence of the bun stopped time for a bit.
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marina martinis
2024
16” x 20” x 1.5”
Acrylic on wood panel
$2960
This is the third and final piece in the Singapore Architecture series.
Combining the Supertrees from the Gardens by the Bay with martinis, this painting is a playful re-imagination of Jess’ very first cocktail after turning of age in Singapore.
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Birds of Paradise
2024
16” x 20” x 1.5”
Acrylic on wood panel
$2720
As the second piece in the Singapore Architecture series, this painting continues to break conceptual and visual norms by juxtaposing nature with the man-made. Inspired by the childhood playfulness of inventing fun creatures, Jess decided it was time to give life to one that existed in her head since elementary school: the Bird of Paradise flower with the colorful birds from the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.
Perched on the iconic Marina Bay Sands, the birds flourish and stand atop one of the country’s most famous architectural feats, conveying a sense of natural prevalence in the modern world.
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Hawker Houses
2024
16” x 20” x 1.5'“
Acrylic on wood panel
$2480
Kicking off the Singapore Architecture series, this piece highlights Jess’ childhood memories of simple, delicious lunches at the hawker centers underneath towering apartment complexes. Jess’ perfect food court meal was — and still is — chicken rice with a pandan waffle (and a Milo Dino). Somehow the food tasted even better served on bright plastic plates.
The apartment complexes, also known as HDB flats, are part of Singapore’s public housing efforts, run by the Housing & Development Board. They stud the entirety of the island, and their spatial efficiency have created a visual motif that has become quite iconic.
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