Fashion personalities who elope for the art world are not unheard of – Helmut Lang being the most famous and (for now) permanent example. Tracing a similar route is one Patrick Sin, a familiar face in the local fashion industry, having previously occupied roles such as merchandiser, stylist and fashion editor throughout his 25-year career. He professes to have long had a desire to try painting but it wasn’t until 2017 when he took a chance at a friend’s art jam that he decided to enrol for a full-time course on abstract art at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Since then, he’s been participating in group shows, most notably Favourite Things, a well-received group show held at The Arts House last November together with fellow fashion industry veterans Tan Woon Chor and Sherli Chong who, like him, were keen on trying their hand at art.
His long years in fashion have undeniably had some influence on his abstract expressionist paintings, in particular his sensitivity to colour – of which he skilfully blends anything from pastels to rich jewel tones in broad, heavily textured strokes. They call to mind art greats like Mark Rothko but Sin, 50, admits that he’s still very much in the process of developing his signature style. While he still freelances as a fashion consultant and stylist, his main aim now is to continue honing his craft. “I chose painting because I still wanted to be creative with what I do – but for myself (now),” says Sin. And as he puts it, making art can be and is a therapeutic process. Next up: He’s planning a group show that might represent an evolution in the slow living movement – fashion and design folks who elevate ordinary, everyday items into something more precious and unique. “It’s a good way to live with fewer, but special, things; I think this may make for a more sustainable lifestyle.” Paging Jonathan Anderson.
This article first appeared in the January 2020 print issue of FEMALE.
Like this? Check out this visual artist reimagining space through his installations and take a peek into the mind of art curator Anmari Van Nieuwenhove.
