I am Ika Khairiah, studying in BA in Art and Education at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

During my studies in Diploma in Art Teaching, at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), I enjoyed exploring different mediums to enhance my skills. My art practices primarily focuses on realistic to semi realistic drawings, as well as paintings influenced by Surrealist Art. These paintings allow me to express the indescribable emotions I feel regarding certain topics, such as memories, and my experiences with reality and hardships. 

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Ever since my studies in NAFA, I always find opportunities to integrate other types or art forms in my projects. I aim to go beyond my comfort zone and explore my diverse skills. This ranges from experimenting with different painting techniques, to improving my Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator skills, as well as video editing. In a recent project, “Refill your ink cartridges before they run out”, I produced a photographic zine which shares a narrative regarding mental health issues. Through this project, I also got to relive my childhood days by creating miniature set-ups with unconventional materials.

So far, my art projects have been driven by my obsession to create. Through the act of creating a painting, sculpture, or a zine with my bare hands, I feel reconnected to myself as I get to express my ineffable thoughts and emotions regarding topics that has always been hard for me to bring up. 

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In 2024, I've found myself drawn more towards community arts and volunteered to help out with the preparations of Chingay 2024. Led by the committee members of Bukit Batok, we folded large plastic origami animals, painted over with flowers, which were further illuminated by vibrant LED lights. During the Chingay event, I took an active role in guiding members of the public through the art of folding origami tulips using plastic sheets. It was a fulfilling experience, blending creativity with community engagement, while encouraging artistic exploration within them.

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Most of my projects never go perfectly as it was initially planned. This is a challenge that I am grateful to embrace, as I have trained myself to be more versatile, flexible, and adaptive to these unexpected situations.  A quote that I hold dearly from my favourite artist, Bob Ross, mentions that, “We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” It is truly a blessing in disguise as I get to go beyond what was expected, and I admire the beauty in that. In fact, the more I create, the more I find beauty in the unknown.