When not attending art events and live workshops, you’ll find Beatrice Oh (@ohbeatriceee on Instagram) busy throwing tea parties. By that, she means crafting cute portraits or illustrations of furry felines in make-belief worlds.
Known for her flair in watercolour and colour pencil, the full time artist and graphic designer enjoys injecting whimsical touches into her artwork. Oh, and she runs a little online store offering immortalised tokens of her playful imagination too.
When and how did you develop an interest in the arts?
Before it all started I was actually taking a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, simply because I like marketing and mass communication and I thought it was the only way to make a career out of being a creative. It was only one day that I imagined myself as an 80 year old lady and asked her if she would regret it if I never took the course that I love simply because I took the practical route. The answer changed my decision to take on art, and also ever since then, I make most big decisions with that same 80 year old lady.
How does illustrating fulfil you?
Some people find expressing themselves with words easy; others with music. I’m very comfortable in expressing myself using illustrations and watercolor so that really fulfils me.
What’s an interesting story behind one favorite illustration you’ve done?
I have a piece of work that is actually not exceptionally polished or in any way hard to create. But I find that it defined me as an artist and as a person. It’s the artwork ‘Sleepy Spell’, which was created on a night where I was having insomnia and wondered about counting sheep and its relation to falling asleep. The artwork is simply a young witch casting spells in the shape of sheep. I felt that after that it really solidified my approach and flow of creating since 2018 - whimsical, magical, childlike playfulness.
I think the most challenging part about what I do is taking the time to create for fun and create for work.
What are your thoughts on the current creative industry in Malaysia?
I think the creative industry in Malaysia is very creative and ever growing! The only way to stay relevant is to reach out more and share more, in a generous way of course - such as the new things they have learned, the process, advice, predictions, etc. With all these, I think the industry can move forward as a whole and not just the few very creative individuals [who are] creating things too complex for people around them to understand.
What is the most challenging part about being a creator?
I think the most challenging part about what I do is taking the time to create for fun and create for work. I'm lucky to be allowed to experiment in a small dose with my work, but most of the time the clients already want what they expect to see, so that’s where creating for fun comes to play! But the tricky part is finding the time and headspace to do so. Right now it’s still my most challenging equation to solve.
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