‘The other day I received a comment from
someone telling me they think I have
improved so much since they first started
following me. That’s the beauty of the
online community. I can work from home,
share my works, and get feedback on them.
I think their encouragement is also one
of the reasons I wanted to pursue art full
time.’
I got in contact with Xiaofan late last
year. Seeing her popularity, I wasn’t sure
if she would be willing to contribute to
Synaesthesia, especially as the magazine
doesn’t make any money, so our gratitude
(for now) lacks financial support. But our
network of artists is entirely based on the
generosity of those who love the arts, so
I prayed Xiaofan thought the same.
Xiaofan is known as Untamed Little
Wolf online. Her work ranges from fluid,
more impressionist scenes of dreamy
countryside and the night sky, to more
detailed pieces of animals or people
and recently, even stamp-work. I first
discovered her for her ethereal whale
painting, which sees a whale bathed in
gorgeous underwater light (top right); it
captivated me.
But it hasn’t always been simple for
Xiaofan.
An inkling of doubt
Xiaofan spent her childhood growing up
in China; she was studious, clever, and
dedicated to her studies. She excelled in her
maths and physics exams, and afterwards,
gained admission to major in statistics
in China. She was also offered to study
engineering in Singapore – and so she
grabbed the opportunity with both hands,
and her journey began.
Or so she thought.
Imagine keeping a secret from your
family, friends, even yourself. For a
17-year-old who had never left the country
before, Xiaofan’s move from China to
Singapore to pursue a career in engineering
was a colossal commitment, and one that
she believed was the sensible choice.
However, it wasn’t easy, and not just
because she was leaving her family to
make an immense move – geographically
and emotionally. But she thought she was
doing the right thing. Her secret wasn’t
as clear to her as I thought it would be.
Everyone told her she was making the
right choice – her parents, family and
friends – but something still didn’t quite
feel right. Something was missing.
She continues: ‘I don’t know if you’ve
ever known that you’re good at something,
but you also know that you have no
passion for it, at all? That’s me with
engineering – I didn’t even need to make
an effort. I was good at studying, good at
my job, and everyone said that it was a >>
“
Imagine
keeping a
secret from
your family,
friends, even
yourself