Beauty in the ordinary
By Khor Ting Yan, with Nabila Giovanna

‘A Day in the Life’ is a series by A&M where we invite artists to share a day in their life through images accompanied by brief descriptions.

Khor Ting Yan is a Singaporean artist and art educator. She transforms the simplicity of daily life into visual narratives by drawing out its inherent beauty and significance. Her work serves as a gentle reminder to pause and appreciate the subtle yet meaningful aspects of the world around us.

In this series of ‘A Day in the Life’, Ting Yan shares with us how her works ‘借一下 (Borrow a while)’ (2022) and ‘停一下 / Pause a While’ (2023) came to be.

Khor Ting Yan, installation of ‘1 Binjai Park, Singapore 589818’ (edition 12/16), 2016, framed print. ‘借一下 / Borrow a while’, 2022 (bottom right) at Supperhouse, Singapore.

‘借一下 (Borrow a while)’ (2022) comprises of a borrowed yellow plastic chair from the kopitiam (or coffeeshop) I frequent, and a quilted floor piece of the chair’s shadow cast on a tiled surface. While plastic chairs are ubiquitous, light, and easily movable, I quilted its shadow in place, situating viewers in a particular moment in time. The work attempts to materialise a moment of transience and draw attention to the simple and mundane: a plastic chair standing proudly with its shadow cast on the tiled floor.

Photograph taken of two white plastic chairs along Perak Road, Singapore, and a ight: close-up of ‘借一下 / Borrow a while’ (2022) of different fabrics sewn together to create the illusion of the chair’s shadow. — Photograph taken of two white plastic chairs along Perak Road, Singapore, and a close-up of ‘借一下 / Borrow a while’ (2022) of different fabrics sewn together to create the illusion of the chair’s shadow.

These two chairs, with their long shadows cast on the red tiled floor, proudly sat by the side of Perak Road. They caught my attention as I walked by, reminding me of two friends sitting by each other, watching the world go by. I am often drawn to light and shadow. Shadows shorten and lengthen depending on the time of day. Shadows are quiet and unassuming. You can’t have shadows without light.

Test bleached fabric swatches for ‘停一下 / Pause a While’, 2023.

I saw James Turrell’s ‘Skyspaces, Meeting’ at MOMA PS1 in Queens, New York. Turrell jackhammered through four feet of thick concrete to create a literal hole in the ceiling. I find the act of creating the work as compared to the contemplative, peaceful nature of the work rather funny. Viewers can watch the sky and its transformation over the course of the day. I created a fabric piece inspired by Turrell’s work, wanting desperately to materialise what I experienced through his piece. I bleached different types of fabrics to emulate the semblance of clouds and stitched together different geometric fabric pieces to capture the space.

Khor Ting Yan, ‘停一下 / Pause a While’, 2023, installation view at ‘A_edge Art Teacher’s Show’, School of The Arts, Singapore.

The second piece was made in reference to a photograph I took while rushing from class to class on a hectic day of teaching in school. These rectangles of light were gracefully cast upon the concrete floor through an open window. For just a moment, I no longer felt hurried or rushed. Instead, it felt more important to acknowledge this patch of light. ‘停一下 / Pause a While’ (2023) is an installation of these two textile pieces. These textiles extend an invitation to the viewer — a gentle prompting to pause, reflect, and navigate the weight and allure hidden within the folds of the ordinary.

Left: Day in my life, teaching at a primary school for the past 3 years. Right: Day in my life, currently, at Arts Education Branch, Ministry of Education.

The relationship between my job as a primary school art teacher and an artist is much like the interplay of light and shadow. Through my lessons, I share my love for making and experimenting with materials with my students, illuminating the significance of art and encouraging them to express themselves. Often, it is my students who remind me to see the world through a child's eyes, evoking curiosity, wonder, and excitement. As an artist, I delve into the shadows, uncovering the hidden narratives within the mundane. This duality allows me to appreciate and celebrate the ordinary moments that often go unnoticed, both in my life and my work.

Follow Khor Ting Yan on Instagram here and visit her website to see more of her works.

Read all A Day in the Life stories here.

All images are courtesy of the artist.

About the Artist

Khor Ting Yan (b.1995) is a Singaporean artist and art educator. She works across various media, including printmaking, drawing, painting, collage, fibres, and textiles, to explore the mundane in both the urban and natural landscape. Her works capture everyday banal moments that often go unnoticed, prompting viewers to slow down and consider that the ordinary can hold weight, significance, and beauty.