The Pyramid series (2019), acrylic on canvas, is in the format of a square (48" x48"). This form gives solidity to the work without giving bias to whether the work is a portrait or landscape. In this series, an isosceles triangle is placed in the middle of the square canvas. All three-pointed sides of the triangle have approximately 1 cm towards the edges of the painting to suggest its continuation outside the pictorial space.

The colour schemes for the first four Pyramid paintings were based on different times of the day in Kuala Lumpur to suggest the distinctive sensations throughout the day; from the early morning coolness to the intensive tropical heat of the afternoon and the cooler temperature of the night. The subsequent paintings from the series are called Pyramid (with a number) and were painted after I returned to Hong Kong following my residency. Various hues of orange, red, blue and black are the dominant colours of the work, to explore further different impressions of the early morning and the nocturnal sky in Hong Kong. I lived in a far-flung rural corner of Hong Kong where one would encounter great light and colours in the sky during the autumn, particularly early in the morning and after sunset.

This body of work was created in July and August 2019 during an artist residency programme at TAKSU Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At that time, Hong Kong where I was based was going through some significant political changes, resulting in many protests on the streets with many arrests being made. Making these paintings became my refuge during those uncertain times.

Although a triangle is an uncompromising shape, it somehow gives me some comfort and a feeling of calmness when I look at those paintings. It almost has a spiritual feel to it, as the triangular composition reminds me of the two sacred images I had in mind at the time: the omnipresent images of the sitting Buddha in southeast Asia and those European medieval paintings of Madonna and Child in the West.