Growing up, Chaw Hsien Ying had a tough time accepting her name. According to her, ‘Hsien’ was often perceived as a rather masculine name. By removing one alphabet from her name, she believed that it would feminise herself and she could take hold of her identity.
As Chaw grew older, she realised its silliness and began embracing the name her parents gave her. Instead of completely erasing that phase of her life, she kept that moniker around and it’s now her signature brand for her watercolour illustrations.
Before pursuing a career as a full-time watercolour artist, Chaw was working a nine-to-five job as a 3D graphic designer. “I studied animation and majored in 3D animation,” she said. “Right after graduation, I was headhunted by a visual effects company that was based in Los Angeles. They had a branch in Malaysia, and I was part of that team for three years.”
Despite earning a decent wage, her company went into bankruptcy. This abrupt transition in her career gave her a new realisation. The animation industry was more volatile than she thought it to be. So she decided to leave that life for good.
It was in 2010 that Chaw discovered her interest in watercolour painting. “I’ve tried many hands-on hobbies before. From needle felting to embroidery. It was when my ex-colleague gifted me his old watercolour palette that I started taking up the art. And I instantly fell in love with the process of painting.”
From then on, Chaw would go on sketching her designs and painting them, turning her ideas into whimsical art on paper. Despite forging a new life that is more flexible, the journey of becoming a watercolour illustrator was not always smooth sailing for Chaw.
As with any other pursuit, she started off without adequate know-how in her art. With her drive to improve her skills, Chaw went through what she called an “obsession phase” where she’d practise watercolour painting daily.
“I knew I wasn’t very skilled when I started out. So, I would practise the basics over and over again during the day. It’s the same thing at night. This went on for about five years and I officially began pursuing watercolour painting as a full-time career in 2017.”
Chaw has been painting for over 14 years now. In the earlier stages of her journey, her paintings often included simpler designs of all things she liked – plants, animals, and her favourite foods.
Now, Chaw can confidently paint complex illustrations. As seen in the majority of her art, what seems constant is her admiration for nature and Malaysia’s beloved cuisines and culture. “Since schooling days, I’d catch myself daydreaming often. Until today, I still daydream and most of my inspiration stems from those moments of dreaming.”
If one were to go through her recent work, they’d notice a distinct style in her paintings, which is the blend of blues and purples. These colours exude a calming and whimsical aesthetic that is distinctively Chaw’s.
“I am not the kind of person who can sit still, and I found watercolour painting to be calming. It makes me focus naturally. The colours blue and purple have that similar effect on me. In my previous job, I was constantly in front of the computer screen. Those long hours weren’t pleasant, and I eventually got sick of it.”
To sustain her passion, Chaw transforms her work into various printables such as stickers, bookmarks and postcards. Despite making them just for fun, she’s gained popularity through them, especially at pop-up events.
As a watercolour illustrator, Chaw seems to be keeping herself busy like a true artist. At the moment, she’s still whipping up new designs under her moniker. She’s also working on her portfolio and learning surface designing. It heavily involves more planning and repetitive design than her usual free-style approach in her art.
WORDS Alison Loh PHOTOS Raja Mokhzairi
