A Blade of Grass Behind the Ear,
Bones, stones, and calling the four elements, curated by Annie J. Kwan,
3rd Edition of the Brent Biennial, Metroland Cultures, London, Sept 2025

The simple act of placing a blade of grass behind the ear reflects a quiet but meaningful practice known to those familiar with the lay of the land in Sarawak, Malaysia. Rooted in indigenous knowledge, this gesture serves as a ritual of respect—towards nature, spirits, and the places one passes through. It becomes a form of protection, a way of acknowledging the unseen forces that govern the world around us. This project is centered on the theme of air, exploring both its tangible and intangible qualities. Air is approached through the metaphor of trade winds—as breath, as passage, as a medium of meaning-making and historical movement. Trade winds, which flow steadily toward the equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere, were instrumental in powering the Silk and Spice Routes. These consistent winds facilitated the movement of people, goods, and stories across oceans. The idea of the trade winds also flows into the notion of home—as a vessel for breath, soul, memory, people, and emotions. Inspired by a line from Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem Two Countries--“Love means you breathe in two countries”—this work revisits my personal connections between Singapore and Sarawak, shaped by a nomadic childhood and a continual negotiation of belonging. Through these works, I hope to explore modes of communication that extend beyond language, contributing to forms of placemaking and kin-making with audiences. How might we connect through craft and ritual? Perhaps through love languages that sit at the intersection of care, making, and storytelling. As I consider the home as one of many vessels, I turn to rituals such as the making of the rosette, which functions as both leitmotif and visual metaphor. This symbol holds layers of matrilineal stories and intergenerational knowledge—intimately private, yet resonating as forms of public remembrance. Through a combination of photographic and video works, installations, and collected oral histories, the project weaves together themes of memory, transformation, and legacy. In this context, air becomes a metaphor for continuity—for the invisible yet vital flows that sustain life, connection, and exchange across time, space, and generations.