'Punctuated Equilibrium' is my latest body of work, created since 2021. In evolutionary science, punctuated equilibrium refers to the phenomenon of evolution that occurs through long periods of stasis, where there is very little change going on, punctuated by intense moments of rapid change. This phenomena happens in our lives as well. In recent years I have been drawn to the changing colours of the natural world, especially the appearance and disappearance of light and forms when the day turns to night or vice versa, and this has informed the theme of these works.

This series of paintings is small (10" X 8" each) and is best seen together, like many of my works. They look similar to each other as they continuously evolve. The colours are getting darker, from silvery grey, maroon red, deep grey-blue to silvery black with blue and purple, and it gives the effect of light emanating from within. Together with the subtle and close tonal shift, they create a much slower movement in the work. At times a sense of weightlessness appears as the foreground melts into the background, blurring the boundaries between colours and shapes. With the subtle play of light and tones, the shapes transform into elusive three dimensional forms. If the paintings were a reflection of sound, they would sound like soft breathing; so quiet that it could only be audible if you get really close to them.

I have been listening to a lot of Zen Buddhism teaching over the last few years, to cultivate a sense of equilibrium and inner peace as the oppressive atmosphere created by recent political upheavals in Hong Kong had become increasingly challenging. To try and understand Buddhism from a more scientific angle, I have taken a great interest in the subject of neuroscience, particularly in the areas of why we tend to think in a certain way, why our brains have a negative bias, how we are often caught up by the wrong perceptions, how we could retrain our brains to think more positively by cultivating gratitude and kindness, and how practising mindfulness could help restore our sense of stability and create a more spacious mind. These are based on some of the core concepts of Buddhism, and the language used in Buddhist teaching and sciences has in some cases become very similar.