Expressing life’s passions visually

Zeen Chin channels his thoughts and emotions into a multifaceted fantasy composition that features a witch, demons and an angry spirit

Zeen Chin depicts a witch, demons and an angry spirit.

Life is something that I’ve always been passionate about. I take a lot of inspiration by digging up my childhood – remembering the times that I spent with friends, the games that I played, the people that I met.

All these memories help me in terms of my work, as well as defining my painting style. For my next illustration project, I’m going to create something that relates to my past. It pleases me to put details from my life experiences into my art. Each piece has its own concept and story that relates to me. This project is about my passion towards my life and I really hope to bring what I believe, my thoughts and ideas, into these artworks.

This piece is one from the project. The theme is Japanese in nature, in terms of the colours, style and design. The subject of the painting is a sword-wielding Japanese witch, while the groups of little demons are the sub-characters, who play a contrasting role. The title is My Spirit, which reflects my own spirit when it comes to working and developing my project. Holding a sharp katana with the gaze of a hawk, the witch defines my determination and devotion. Meanwhile, the merry little demons represent the guilty pleasure I get from reading, playing games, watching films, or just passing time by relaxing.

Both subjects create a sharp contrast, which I feel makes the work livelier. The mural represents a fury spirit who is unleashed by the witch, and represents my enthusiasm and energy.