Today, we feature an aspiring artist in the making – Resin Artist Singapore Koh Yuan Han, who’s keen to share with us her journey and career in this creative and niche field.
Hi Yuan Han, please tell us more about yourself.
Hello! My name is Koh Yuan Han or yh for short. Alternatively, I also go by Ky as my artist alias! I am 24 years old and a recent Fine Arts graduate from Lasalle. Currently, I am working on my small business on Etsy whilst looking for a full-time job.
You mentioned that you wanted to pursue art as a career? Do you think that you’ll ever lose passion in art? Did your passion in this industry invigorated your decision to switch career pathways?
I have always wanted to pursue art as a career, but it is really difficult in the current climate because of financial stability. To be honest, I doubt I will ever lose passion for art, even though it has been a double-edged sword at times. I appreciate the joy and peacefulness it has brought me throughout the years.
Personally, I would like to think that it did affect my decision to switch careers, though not drastically. Around 5 years ago, I wanted to work in the games industry as a concept artist, but I slowly realised that it was a very demanding industry that relies on “crunch” and working efficiently.
It was also a rather difficult time for females to break into the games industry. So, with my passion for the arts, I decided to pursue the fine arts/arts industry instead.
Being a Resin Artist in Singapore is pretty rare and unique here, even amongst the arts community. What got you into resin in the first place and why made you want to turn it into a business?
I discovered resin whilst scrolling through my Instagram’s explore page one day. I remember looking at @honeyandflowersco page and being amazed at how beautiful and “shiny” this artistic medium is.
However, at that time, there was very little information on resin, such as where to buy supplies or how to use the medium efficiently. I only got exposed to it thoroughly during my second year in art school, where resin was a requirement for the final assessment.
I wanted to show my love for the Kpop music I was into at that time, and to make fan-made items for others to enjoy. I enjoy the idea of immortalising an idea/song into resin due to its fluidity and ability to be “moulded”. It is kind of like memorabilia for something you like/love is the way I would put it.
We’ve realised that you’ve got your own Etsy store, specialising in Resin art. How do you usually integrate your works of art into these products?
Normally, I would draw inspiration from whichever media I have consumed, such as music, movies, video games or pop culture. Whichever idea jumps out to me the most will be made the quickest.
I would then take the idea and begin planning, such as finding the mould shape that suits the concept or the text/lettering that will be on the piece. I believe it is all about materialising ideas and concepts into the product.
We’ve seen some of your products. Which is your personal favourite? How long did you take to complete these crafts?
I think my personal favourite would be this piece. The execution of the charm and the full transparency of the resin works well with the golden and silver foiling of the wording and the fillings inside of the shaker; everything looks magical and whimsical.
I would say it takes around 5 – 7 days to complete them, as there are many steps needed, but the most time-consuming aspect would be waiting for the resin to cure.
What’s your plan for the future? Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
I think my plans for the future is to continue to develop my artistry and skills in resin. There is always something new that I can learn about the medium. My greatest hope would be to do it full-time “officially” in the future, but I am okay with it being a side hustle as well!
Do you have other mediums that you’d like to explore?
I would like to explore cross-stitching again. I enjoyed the medium when I tried it once, it was a meditative process for me and the learning curve was not too high. Even though it is extremely time-consuming, the results made up for the time spent.
How do you feel about the art scene here? Do you think that there is hope for the art industry?
I feel that the local art scene is very vibrant and there are always many artists doing interesting and new things. This is evident in artist markets or events that involve artist alleys, where new ideas for products or different mediums that are not seen commonly can be found there.
At times, I feel that the art scene can act as a bit of a gatekeeper for what is deemed as “art”, and have personally witnessed it happening in art school several times. I do think there is always room for improvement in the industry; to do better each year and to create opportunities, not for ourselves, but others as well.
Thanks for your time Yuan Han!
If you like Singapore resin artist Koh Yuan Han, do check out her Etsy store @Plaitbloom and support our other artists as well! Don’t forget to follow us on our socials too!
