In “Ah Ma’s Kitchen”, Wong Sze Yoong focuses on three rattan baskets filled with onions, garlic, shallots and ginger, which he remembers hanging in a corner of his grandmother’s kitchen. “These simple ingredients, steeped in tradition, were the foundation of countless meals, and their aroma greeted me every time I entered.”

Our eyes are drawn to the characterful detail of each bulb of garlic, the dry brittle outer skins peeling off the dark inner layers of red onion, the weave of the baskets, the printed text on the old newspaper used to line them. The less detailed blur of the background creates the impression of a hazy nostalgic memory of the space; the whole interrupted by a spontaneous yellow drip and stain effect on top of the work made using turmeric, “mirroring the traces left behind from years of cooking, much like the stains in her kitchen – reminders of her presence mirror the traces left behind from years of cooking.”

In ""Ah Ma's Kitchen,"" I capture the fleeting essence of this space, the sensory experience of sight and smell that formed my connection to her and our shared heritage. This work is a reflection of those everyday moments that leave a lasting imprint on both the heart and the home."