Lisa Teo is an artist based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has a wide range of paintings of different mediums like oil, acrylic, charcoal and watercolour.
What inspired you to become an artist?
"I’ve always had an interest in art since young. I was often doodling, dabbling in art, sketching & painting. I find that I can be free to explore and express myself as there’s no limitation in art. Visiting good art museums and seeing all the great masterpieces inspired me to hone my artistic skills. It is my dream to create my own masterpieces."
What was it like to set up your studio?
"I found my present art studio cum gallery by chance when I went for a meditation class in the same building. I was attracted to the serenity & green surroundings of Centrio Pantai Hillpark. Many visitors to my studio enjoy the quiet & calm atmosphere and commented that the positive vibe is conducive for creating artworks.
I set up my duplex art studio in December 2019 before the corona pandemic was in full swing. There are two floors in my studio. The space above at the mezzanine level is where I create my own paintings for exhibition & sale. As I have a large studio to work with, I’ve been able to produce larger scale paintings.
I exhibit my paintings, conduct art lessons & art jamming sessions and host visitors on the ground floor."
Where do you get inspiration for your paintings?
"I like being creative and quite often, inspiration comes from nature & my travels. I’ve drawn inspiration from the beautiful sights in Southern France during a river boat cruise along the Rhine River. I have created charcoal paintings in the style of Chinese ink paintings of the Zhangjiajie Mountains (featured in the movie “Avatar”).
I also get inspiration when I visit art museums. For example, I love the brushstrokes of post-impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne. I adapt his brushstrokes to create my own paintings.
I am also inspired to paint people with strong defining characters and expression.
In all my paintings, I hope that my viewers are able to detect the expression of a feeling or a certain mood."
What are the meanings behind your paintings?
My paddy field series have been my most successful series. I visited the paddy fields of Sekinchan, Malaysia, in 2017 with a group of fellow artists for a painting en plain air trip. I painted 5 watercolour paintings and 15 oil paintings of the paddy fields with good feng shui elements such as the sunrise (which is symbolic of an expansion of good luck), the paddy harvester (reaping the rewards of one’s hard work), yellow paddy fields ready for harvest (an abundance of wealth). I sold 8 of these paintings.
What do you offer at your studio?
I create oil, acrylic, watercolour & charcoal paintings on canvas or paper for exhibition and sale.
I also create paintings tailored to the client’s needs & specifications (size, paint medium, theme). As I’m a versatile artist and work with various mediums, I’ve been able to create a wide variety of paintings on commission, ranging from feng shui paintings to landscapes to portraits.
I conduct art lessons & art jamming sessions on the ground floor. It’s a form or art therapy whereby I guide my students to achieve their desired painting by encouraging them to exceed their expectations, boost their self-confidence & gradually changing their general outlook in life for the better.
