For more than a decade, I lived between Vietnam and Indonesia. In Vietnam, I learned the ancient art of lacquer painting. From the resin of trees, I built layers that could hold gold leaf, silver, or the shimmer of crushed eggshell, I use this now to layer gold leaf onto the surface of my paintings.

In Indonesia, I found myself among women seated on the floor in dark, smoke-filled workshops. They guided hot wax through the narrow spout of a tjanting, drawing fine lines that would later be dyed into brilliant colours. Their hands moved with a rhythm learned over generations, their silk and cotton creations radiant with life.

Immersed in these worlds, I came to understand that art can be both devotion and a daily practice.