Jien

Pearlyn Soo

"Each delicate stroke whispers without words."

Jien and Sipei are sisters and best of friends. As children, they used to make-believe, draw and write their own storybooks together. As they grew older, their daydreams turned into common interests and aspirations, resulting in their very first collaboration, Wit x Folly, that creates art with calligraphy. We spoke to Jien, who tells us more about Wit x Folly and herself as an artist.

When did you discover your flair for calligraphy?

I believe it was cultivated from the time I was really young. Art was my strongest subject in school.

Besides calligraphy, what other interests do you pursue as an artist?

It depends on my mood as I go through several different phases but the two things that have stayed constant are my love for colours as well as my interest in anything related to design, be it fashion, interior or graphic design.

 People often mistake doodling as illustrating. To you, is there a difference between the two?

I do not think that we should be too concerned with trying to classify something we have created as a doodle or illustration. Either way, it is creativity and it is art in its own right.

What are some recent projects you have embarked on?

Wit x Folly is one such project. My sister, Sipei, and I are in the process of setting up a platform to share our daydreams, things that have inspired us in our daily lives, and of course, our own creations. We are also at the early stages of planning a consignment of our prints for a very lovely fashion boutique. This is all very exciting for my sister and me!

What are some challenges you have faced as an artist?

Self-doubt is a huge hindrance to my creativity. I am also on a constant quest to create something truly original and uniquely mine. There is so much out there and we are bound to find other creative works similar to what we do, so the challenge is to find our own signature style and that takes time and a lot of patience. It is also important to me to keep up with design trends like the latest colour palettes, motifs and visual expressions.

Are there any quotes that you relate to most as an artist?

I have a lot of such quotes because I also love words but there are two that I always find myself going back to.

Sometimes, I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast. 

Lewis Carroll

 Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Both quotes encapsulate very beautifully the notion of creative freedom and an openness to the world around us. Firstly, we should always challenge ourselves to think outside of the status quo and secondly, we have to be patient with what the universe has to offer and not try to immediately silo everything into answers and plans which we tend to do so very subconsciously in our lives.

Follow Jien on Instagram for updates: @ji3n