Vanessa Liem’s (b. 2002, Singapore) figurative paintings tackle the human condition by conjuring windows into real yet illusory worlds. In Make Sure to Use Soap, the subject feels emotionally invalidated, leading to pain and suffering articulated through fragmented bodies with disembodied floating limbs. However the sufferer shows a desire to heal by vicariously experiencing the feelings of the outsider while in despair.

Liem’s works are emotive responses to daily experiences, that question and explore basic narratives that are relevant to life and humankind. She won Gold in the 2019 UOB Painting of the Year, Emerging Category and has participated in and curated several SOTA art exhibitions.