Linda has worked as a civil servant and in banking, owned and operated a business in Singapore importing art materials and art prints and organizing painting seminars. She is currently tutoring Art History in the University of Western Australia and commutes weekly between Erravilla Estate in Yallingup and Perth.
Having completed a Masters in Fine Art in 2015, she went on to hone her pottery skills in Japan with master potter Setsuro Shibata in Tajimi, Japan. Painting skills were acquired chiefly through the 1990’s from spending time in America, Japan and Australia painting with established folk and decorative artists. To these technical skills was added the theoretical and conceptual ideas through six years of full-time fine art study in UWA.
As her thesis focused on Nonya porcelain ware made in the 19th century, she decided to learn about every stage of the production process through making it for herself. Linda’s pottery journey took off in 2013, learning from several teachers in Perth, and, in 2015 and 2023 with pottery residencies in Japan. She enjoys applying her painting and carving skills to her pottery, creating unique one-off pieces. Everything is fired on site in Erravilla Estate.
She has straddled both art and craft and fine art in her creative journey and this fusion of skills set is what she will be bringing to this year’s Margaret River Region Open Studios. Her new works this year will reflect the official beach theme with pottery pieces in swirling hues of blues, yellow and white. Spiral thrown vessels, nerikomi and neriage pieces will predominate. For her paintings and mixed media work she will incorporate materials amassed over the years such as Japanese mulberry and chiyogami paper, fabric, beads, strings, feathers, dried plant material.
Her work is a syncretic mix of cultures, Peranakan, Singaporean, Australian and Japanese as these cultures are part of her lived experience. These elements are strongly present in her work in terms of style, imagery and materiality. Creating pottery for daily use, making objets, drawing and painting are all deeply satisfying pursuits that are an integral part of Linda’s life. She believes like Matisse, that there is a place for art that is soothing, calming, relaxing and beautiful. Her aim is therefore, not to change the world, but rather to add a dash of colour to life.