Sheila Singam, a corporate trainer and personal coach, makes her debut in the local art scene this month with a collection of mixed-media acrylic on canvas in her exhibition titled Forest In The Brain.
Sheila was challenged to venture into painting when she was told to overcome a limiting belief that she had held on to since her youth, instilled by an art teacher in her primary school who told her, “You can’t do art to save your life”.
Having carved out a successful career in the field of coaching and human capital development, she realised that she had the tools to eliminate that belief and did so by setting out to do the very thing she was told she couldn’t do.
“Art was something I needed to do. There was a barrier in my belief system when it came to drawing and painting and I needed to overcome that. Over and above that, I always felt that there was an “artist” in me waiting to burst forth.
Forest In The Brain is an eclectic collection that does not conform to any particular theme, except Sheila’s prevailing philosophy of “Joyous, Colourful Art”, which is reflected in almost all her work. Her pieces are bright, bold and varied with the central theme of colour and joy prevalent in every artwork.
“I am my art, and my art is me. I have had an eclectic career, I have varied interests, I dress in contrasting styles, and I have friends from all walks of life. I love variety, so I guess all those facets of me are reflected in my art, because I paint from the spirit,” says Sheila.