Colourful Stories
Artist, printmaker, and surface designer, Valerie Khoo is a visual storyteller who doesn’t need specific materials to tell her vibrant and colourful stories. With an atemporal aesthetic, Khoo creates pattern art inspired by nature, filled with flowers, birds, and butterflies. She uses vibrant colours and playful motifs to tell emotional stories about life.
I love storytelling. So my artwork is always underpinned by a story. The colours I use usually reflect the tone and mood of the story as well. Typically, I use vibrant and bold colours which exude positive and energy, as a lot of my artwork contains themes of renewal, momentum and creativity.
Inspired by beautiful places and emotions, the artist dedicates a lot of time to concept development. She visualizes shapes and colours before painting them on the easel and makes sure her mind, spirit, and soul are aligned before creating a new piece of art. Her creative process is a personal experience. Valerie's work is even more rewarding thanks to her versatility in material and medium choice. Khoo creates fabrics for home décor and fashion, surfaces, decorative and useful objects, and art with the same passion.
I recently designed a five-meter sculpture of a rooster as a piece of public art commissioned by the City of Sydney. It was wonderful to see it start as a sketch and then gradually come to life as a sculpture which was exhibited on the harbour foreshores between the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It was even more gratifying to watch the crowds as they enjoyed it and took selfies with it.
Versatility and constant curiosity can be a challenge. But Khoo found her inner voice as an artist, and her only challenge is time. She wishes she could have time to explore more. Her enthusiasm is catchy as are her creations. There’s something feminine and delicate about them but, on the other hand, you feel surrounded by an exotic garden, timeless and persuasive. It’s hard to resist her chic fabrics, overwhelming joy, and playful designs.
The most challenging aspect of my artistic journey has been juggling everything that I'm interested in. I'm naturally curious, so I love trying different mediums and exploring new ideas. I wish there were more than 24 hours in a day!
Her rich motifs are an expression of the artist’s generosity. While others aim to create unique pieces available to a narrow audience, Khoo finds joy in creating for the general public and making her pieces available to everyone. Prints or fabrics, sculptures or surfaces, Khoo loves to bring people joy through her art.
I've sometimes been a bit wistful that an original piece of art traditionally only gets to be appreciated by a single buyer. While it's wonderful that they love it so much that they want to own it, I love the fact that I can now bring my art to so many others through beautiful quality prints.
A heartful and generous artist, Valerie Khoo gives us a part of her colourful world, full of stories and passion. Her work is an oasis of good vibes and beauty, and we can only be grateful to have her prints and objects in our homes.
Find Valerie Khoo's pattern art here.
