Artisans in the Gardens, Sydney

24 Oct. - 1 Nov. 2026

David CheahCHD.001 Of trees, leaves and roots It is said that Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. In creating a tree of connections, this composition weaves in motifs inspired by various cultures including patterns from my ancestral clan house in its roots.“Maybe you are searching among the branches, for what only appears in the roots.” -Rumi.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 580mm x 990mm

David CheahCHD.002 Finding the centre The French marigold is used in offerings in many cultures. Interlace motifs from around the world are interwoven in a reference to oneness as opposed to just centredness.
Fabric acrylic, pencils, French ochre and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 500mm x 1000mm

David CheahCHD.003 Warp, weft and wabi-sabi In weaving, the continuous warp threads provide structure much like generations of tradition while the weft introduces new motifs. A silk piece is like a balancing act and interwoven journey between the generations. Juxtaposed are mulberry leaves used to feed silk worms. The young and matured leaves have different shapes and are reminders of the cycle of impermanence.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 490mm x 1000mm

David CheahCHD.004 Cultivating a tree of life connections This composition is inspired by the ‘tree of life’ found in many cultures. Motifs from my ancestral clan house and Lao temple ornamentation are interwoven like visual metaphors for life’s journeys. The Magnolia champaca used in the perfume ‘Joy’, is also associated with enlightenment. Apart from bringing joy into lives, the flowers and seeds are also reminders of the transient beauty of life.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 500mm x 980mm

David CheahCHD.005 Multiplicity in the centre In Lao and Thai traditions, the crown flower and marigold are used in devotional offerings. Sometimes great importance is placed on finding the centre or the true source. I drew the centre of the marigold only to discover a universe barely visible and made up of little florets like centres within the centre; no one source.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 500mm x 860mm

David CheahCHD.006 Warp and weft of life In weaving, the warp and weft refer to threads going lengthwise and widthwise. A piece of textile is like a balancing act between the generations, between tradition and change; one fading and the other emerging. Juxtaposed is the Magnolia champaca flower, symbolic of enlightenment it has vibrant young yellow flowers that fade into a dull orange with maturity; a reminder of the transient beauty of life.
Fabric acrylic, pencils, French ochre and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 490mm x 1000mm.

David CheahCHD.007 Where rivers meet Situated at the confluence of two rivers, my go-to place of inspiration is Luang Prabang, Laos. It is where I volunteered stencilling walls at temple restorations. Legend has it that the founders chose to site the main temple next to a flame tree. The interlace pattern is inspired by the stencils in that temple at the confluence.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 250mm x 680mm.

David CheahCHD.008 Budding blossoms Agapanthus, derived from the Greek words agape (love) and anthos (flower) translates as the ‘flower of love’.“ Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together make this world a beautiful garden”- Rumi.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 250mm x 700mm.

David CheahCHD.009 Just being …leaving behind the familiar, no clear path in sight, on a journey of just being…
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 250mm x 780mm.

David CheahCHD.010 Seeds of interwoven journeys From interwoven journeys come the seeds of connection to the bigger picture.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 250mm x 780mm.

David CheahCHD.011 Mirror of time Reflections in the mirror of time.Changing, framing and unframing perceptions of the self along the forks and turns of life.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 250mm x 640mm.

David CheahCHD.012 Echoes of the primordial A found leaf, a found connection.Do cells hold memories of the past, answers to the future, or do we just drift on a transient breeze?
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 290mm x 680mm.

David CheahCHD.013 Paphiopedilum callosum I found this silk in a shade of orchid in Siem Reap, which turned out to be handwoven in Laos. Having travelled with it from Indochina to Malaysia, I decided to draw an orchid found in those countries. The inspiration came from dad who was an avid orchidist.
Fabric acrylic, pencils and varnish on handwoven Lao silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 280mm x 680mm.

David CheahCHD.014 Rosewood Garden The Rosewood flower and tree allude to the transient beauty in nature and the need for balance in our appreciative use of it. In the past, rosewood was so sought after for furniture to the extent that it became endangered. Fortunately, rosewood is now protected. Resembling the layout plan of a landscaped garden, this eclectic composition of influences references the Persian concept of the paradise garden as a reflection of heaven on earth.
Fabric acrylic, pencils, earth pigments and varnish on handwoven Lao & Viet silk (hanging rod included).Approx. 350mm x 1300mm .

David CheahCHD.015 Surrender Some journeys go beyond our comfort zone.Off the beaten track, all we can do, easier said than done is surrender.
Indigo dye, fabric acrylic, pencils, earth pigments and varnish on handwoven Hmong hemp (hanging rod included).Approx. 325mm x 800mm .

David CheahCHD.016 On lily pond The Nymphaea water lily features in many cultures. In Egyptian mythology, the sun god Ra emerged from the lily which symbolised creation and rebirth. It is also the national flower for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Like the flower, the eternal knot motif ‘shrivatsa’ representing interconnectedness, can also be found there and in other parts of the world. Drawing inspiration from the ephemeral to represent the eternal; interwoven in nature, in culture and in time.
Rice paste resist indigo dye and pigment, acrylics, pencils and varnish on vintage kimono fabric (hanging rod included). Approx. 380mm x 1350mm.

David CheahCHD.017 Camellia Mountain connections Inspired by the "Tsubaki Yama" at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden which features camellias including endangered species as well as some extinct in the wild. The camellia here is set against intertwining foliage stencilled in indigo pigment on kimono fabric. In the background is a resist dyed ‘Mizuhiki’ gift knot. The knot, like eternal knots found in many cultures, represents the intertwined and interdependent nature of our existence.
Indigo dye and pigment, acrylics, pencils and varnish on kimono fabric (hanging rod included). Approx. 380mm x 1250mm.

David CheahCHD.018 Interwoven in Indigo My creative journey started with stencilling acrylics, then rice paste for indigo dyeing followed by stencilling indigo pigment. Now, back to the source with drawing the flowers of an indigo plant. Who would have thought a plant with green leaves and pink flowers could produce an indigo blue dye! Grown mostly as an ornamental shrub, the native Indigofera australis can be found at the Botanic Gardens in Sydney.
Rice paste resist indigo dye and pigment, acrylics, pencils and varnish on handwoven Javanese pineapple and silk fabric layered over kimono fabric (hanging rod included). Approx. 380mm x 1150mm.

David CheahCHD.019 From twilight to dawn I worked on this while travelling through Cambodia. An unusual flower that thrives in the warm climate is Epiphyllum oxypetalum aka 'Queen of the Night' as featured in the movie “Crazy Rich Asians”. It blooms after sunset and fades before sunrise. The background interlaced pattern is reminiscent of scrolling borders found in Cambodian brocade worn by Khmer queens and can be traced back to the 7th century. The inspiration came whilst walking through the ruins of Angkor Wat, reflecting on the dawn to twilight years of the once great empire.
Rice paste resist indigo dye and pigment, acrylics, pencils and varnish on handwoven Javanese banana and cotton fabric layered over kimono fabric (hanging rod included). Approx. 380mm x 1150mm.

David CheahCHD.020 A forgotten past - from exotic to everyday This piece was made with indigo dyed banana fibre so I wanted to reflect on their forgotten histories. They were once exotic novelties. As a symbol of prestige, the banana flower motif adorned archways in Indian architecture. Because of their continuous growth of underground shoots, they symbolise the cycle of life, death and rebirth. As a symbol of purity, the seedless fruit represents a soul free from life’s karmic cycle.
The backdrop which references a tree of life is inspired by interlaced patterns and infinity knots found around the world. It was created with rice paste and dyed with indigo, one of the oldest and most prized dyes, also used in the original production of denim.
Both bananas and indigo have travelled across the globe from their humble origins in Asia. Travelling through time and cultures, they are inextricably linked to our everyday lives. Like different threads of thought and inspiration, my journey of exploration weaves together intercultural connections and traditions.
Rice paste resist indigo dye, acrylics, pencils and varnish on handwoven Javanese banana and cotton fabric (hanging rod included. Approx. 340mm x 760mm.

David CheahCHD.021 Indigo rain bells One of the varieties of indigo producing plants is Strobilanthes cusia aka 'Chinese rain bells' which can be found in the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. It is grown also for both ornamental and medicinal purposes. I was inspired by the Hmong tribal tradition of indigo dyed wax batik, but done with my twist of rice paste resist instead. Hemp posed technical issues because of its rougher weave so I had to dot on the paint as though I was applying little raindrops of colour - rather appropriate, I thought!
Rice paste resist indigo dye and pigment, acrylics, pencils and varnish on handwoven Hmong hemp layered over Lao indigo cotton (hanging rod included). Approx. 400mm x 1150mm.

David CheahCHD.022 Turkey Tail mushroom trail Used in traditional medicines in Japan and China, it is also called cloud mushroom because it grows in cloud-like shapes on trees. I was told that one of my ancestors was from a ‘Hakka’ clan lineage known for their traditional medicines. Hence I have incoporated a pattern found in my ancestral clan house. This eclectic composition weaves in cloud motifs found in many asian traditions. They reference the trade winds and routes that have taken my ancestors across the globe. Much like the distribution of mushroom spores on transient winds.
Fabric acrylics, pencils and varnish on kimono fabric (hanging rod included). Approx. 355mm x 730mm

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