about
David Cheah
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I am a Sydney architect turned multidisciplinary artist. Coming from an architectural background, I like blurring the boundaries between art and design. Partly because of my Malaysian 'Peranakan' mixed heritage, I am also drawn to the interconnectedness of cultures, art and crafts and have a firm belief in the quote “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.
I find inspiration in textiles, travels and intercultural connections. All the better if I can marry the three into an enriching experience! I enjoy working with stencils in the layering, physically and metaphorically, of designs and ideas. Taking the idea of layering further into techniques where I like the contrast of sharp lines against the organic wabi-sabi-ness of natural indigo dyeing.
One of my go-to places of inspiration is Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos where I recently completed an artist residency and volunteered in the restoration of stencil work in temples. Another is the batik city of Pekalongan in Indonesia that produced the batik sarongs that my ancestors wore. For more than a decade I have been working with a natural dye batik expert there and driving him and the artisans up the wall because of my quirky experimentations.
I have exhibited in group and solo shows in Kuala Lumpur, Luang Prabang, New York, Penang, Singapore and Sydney. My latest works, predominantly on textiles collected on my travels, are comprised of my own twists on indigo resist dyeing, botanical drawing, and stencilling with earth pigments.
I find inspiration in textiles, travels and intercultural connections. All the better if I can marry the three into an enriching experience! I enjoy working with stencils in the layering, physically and metaphorically, of designs and ideas. Taking the idea of layering further into techniques where I like the contrast of sharp lines against the organic wabi-sabi-ness of natural indigo dyeing.
One of my go-to places of inspiration is Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos where I recently completed an artist residency and volunteered in the restoration of stencil work in temples. Another is the batik city of Pekalongan in Indonesia that produced the batik sarongs that my ancestors wore. For more than a decade I have been working with a natural dye batik expert there and driving him and the artisans up the wall because of my quirky experimentations.
I have exhibited in group and solo shows in Kuala Lumpur, Luang Prabang, New York, Penang, Singapore and Sydney. My latest works, predominantly on textiles collected on my travels, are comprised of my own twists on indigo resist dyeing, botanical drawing, and stencilling with earth pigments.
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