New Begining

This is a new space for me to start documenting my work and the continual progress of my art work and shows. It has been a long awaited to do list item that I have not completed. Everything has a beginning and keeps perpectuating.

At this point, there had been many events and possible experiences for me. It all started when I was younger at around 12-13 years old, I was watching an older man weaving "Songket" cloth(traditional Malay cloth used mainly by man for Muslim prayers) in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur. He was using a 20 shaft loom with three different rollers on the back beam. This loom was amazing as he was using three shuttles and weaving three different cloths at the same time with different patterns. I just sat and stared at it forever. From that point on, I knew I would want to weave.


Growing up in a upper middle class household, I was dictated a path of education due to my parent's legacy of being poor. Being a hardworking youngest kid of a family of four, I made good progress in school. I never would even imagine being an artist.

Fast forward a few more years, I found myself going to the US to further my education due to lower educational standards and racial quotas in the educational system in my country. It was an amazing experience for me to be able to live here in the US. After going to a two year college, I continued and completed a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from San Jose State University.


During my schooling here, I met a few important people in my life. One of them is Grace, she was an supportive person who have taught me how to knit after seeing my passion for needle pointing. I was reluctant in the beginning because of my bad experience learning from my mom when I was 15. She encouraged me to move to knitting to save my eyes. She is an amazing knitter. Her networking skills found me a sales associate job in a yarn store. There was the begining of my journey into this arena. The yarn store experience brought to me an education about fibers, teaching methodologies to beginners and refine my colorist eye. This was all the great beginings of what is yet to evolve.

Through Grace, I was meet many great people including a wonderful woman named Darlene. She is an energetic retired seamtress who is a very advent knitter. I have learned a lot from her and she has encouraged me down this path every possible way she could. She was my mentor in fiber arts.

From then, two years passed working as a sales associate in the yarn store and multiple attendence to yearly knitting conventions, I finally had the courage to start teaching knitting classes and continued teaching in another yarn store which lasted until last December 2008.

At the same time, I was immersing myself into weaving by taking my first weaving class with Consuelo Underwood who is a renowned fiber artist. She had gave me a gift and wonderful opportunities by serving as a Teaching Assistant for her class and also opportunities to grow by exhibiting with other artist and last but not least a volunteer position to assist the curator Deborah Corsini in the San Jose Quilts and Textiles Museum. I had learn a lot from Deborah and Joyce in the museum. Finally, I was offered a position to sit on the board of the museum. I have been serving for almost a year now.

I have had one joint show with artist Eric Baral which is entitled "The Delineation of Light and Prophecy." It went well.

At this point, I have already submitted my artwork to be sold in two different charity auctions in WORKS San Jose in 2006 and 2008. I am preparing new work for the new 2009 auction. At this moment, I am working on one solo show and another art idea.

To end this note, may people has touched my life including family, past lovers, friends and artist friends who had encouraged me to keep moving. I am grateful and thankful for those who have walked into my life and share personal experiences with me. You all mean a lot to me. Thank you.