Throughout my Grandpa’s life, he has always been determined and adventurous. At the age of 19, he left his home in Malaysia to travel the world, in the hope of disproving stigmatising language from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which characterised his fellow countrymen as ‘lazy and indolent’.

After closely observing how lonely and disorientating Alzheimer's disease can be, I wanted to find a new way to help rejuvenate his outgoing spirit. Set within his home and the hidden corners of his home and hidden corners of his overgrown garden, this body of work visually explores and reflects the duality of my Grandfather’s current confinement to the boundaryless life, previously lived beyond the garden wall. 

Choosing to listen to music with my Granpa became such a beautiful surprise. With its unique ability to activate the brain, the power of music, provided us with a new form of non-verbal communication. One that relies on the use of sounds and rhythms. Nothing has matched the first time that I saw my Grandpa’s face fill with pure joy after being reconnected with an old Malaysian poetic folk song. It elicited a spark of new emotions and provided him with a new range of movement. 

The song, Rasa Sayang translates as ‘ A Loving Feeling’. Encapsulating the exact sentiment that I created for him within all my visits and that I encourage others to seek with their loved ones