In recent years, art has become increasingly linked to healing, therapy, and overall well-being. Undoubtedly, engaging with art, whether through observation or creation, provides effective stress relief and an enjoyable experience. Scientific studies have also demonstrated that art can stimulate the brain's reward pathways, leading to reduced stress, decreased anxiety levels, and an enhancement of our overall mood.
Singapore-based artist Kayleigh Goh’s third solo exhibition, Salutogenesis, explores just that. In our conversation with her, we delve into the inspirations driving her artistic focus, the meditative quality her work offers not only to the audience but also to herself during the creative process, her initial encounter with unconventional materials in her paintings, and other intriguing aspects of her artistic journey.
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"Salutogenesis" represents wanting the core of my art practice to revolve around questioning how visual arts, particularly paintings, can contribute to a person's health.
By definition, salutogenesis is a health-oriented approach that focuses on identifying and promoting factors that contribute to well-being, and a sense of coherence in people, rather than addressing the causes of disease. “Salutogenesis explores the origins of health, with a focus on the question "What makes a person healthy?" It differs from pathogenesis, which is what medical doctors do to understand how diseases or disorders develop in order to find a cure. Salutogenesis, on the other hand, considers factors and elements that support human health and well-being,” Kayleigh explains.
Her latest exhibition revolves around the harmonious convergence of art and healing, demonstrating how they can complement each other seamlessly. “The exhibition titled "Salutogenesis" represents wanting the core of my art practice to revolve around questioning how visual arts, particularly paintings, can contribute to a person's health. In 1986, the WHO clarified that health is not merely the absence of disease; it is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Considering spiritual, emotional, and psychological health to be equally important, all these aspects need to be balanced and coherent for us to feel healthy,” she says.
Her paintings showcase crafted lines strategically arranged to create panoramic views, evoking a tranquil and expansive sensation for the viewer. “Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman from Stanford University discusses stress and how panoramic vision, or optic flow, can help reduce stress levels. When we focus on a broad vista, our gaze constantly moves, which can reduce activity in the brain stem involved in vigilance and arousal, leading to a calmer state. By changing how we view our environment, we can effectively turn off the internal stress response. This formed my foundational interest in painting horizontal lines and creating compositions that suggest panoramic horizon views,” she explains.
My intention is to create a tranquil space that minimises distractions, allowing the architectural spaces to become listeners alongside the viewers. They should not overpower the viewer, especially when one is already overwhelmed.
You may have also realised that all of Kayleigh's recent art pieces have minimal usage of colours. By combining acrylic paint, cement and wood, she creates serene and contemplative spaces within her artwork. “I agree with Chinese ink painter Liu Dan that colours can sometimes be distracting. Even as a trained painter myself, I approach the use of colour with great caution. My intention is to create a tranquil space that minimises distractions, allowing the architectural spaces to become listeners alongside the viewers. They should not overpower the viewer, especially when one is already overwhelmed. These are just a few of the many 'elements' or 'factors' that inform the show Salutogenesis. They represent a collective of conscious and subconscious intentions woven together to explore the relationship between art and healing,” she says.
While Kayleigh's works are intended to evoke a sense of peace in the viewer, she also regards the process of creating her art as a therapeutic experience for herself. “I also consider the process of making the paintings to be meditative and healing for me. I find inspiration in the contemporary art movement Dansaekhwa, characterised by its 'performative' nature of repetitive actions and spirituality. The repetition of lines, geometries, and the meticulousness of creating architectural space, along with the tactile experience of working with materials, all help me reorganise my thoughts and feelings, bringing a sense of grounding and psychological clarity. As the famous Chinese proverb states, ‘It is bliss when there are no worries in your heart’ (心中无挂便是福), and that sentiment is reflected in one of the works titled Emptiness, Happiness,” she says.
I owe much of my inspiration and gratitude to architects and interior designers and their expertise in creating environments that evoke specific emotions.
Both architecture and interior design heavily influence Kayleigh’s artworks. Interestingly, her works did not always revolve around spaces but have gradually evolved over time to embrace this focus. “As a student, my earliest works revolved around human figures within space. However, as I progressed, I found myself gradually reducing the prominence of these figures as I came to realise they could be distracting. I also discovered the power of architectural spaces to convey human experiences through emotions alone. I owe much of my inspiration and gratitude to architects and interior designers and their expertise in creating environments that evoke specific emotions,” she says.
By incorporating cement and wood into her artwork, Kayleigh adds an additional layer to the inherent natural characteristics of a painting, thus creating a new dimension within her creations. The questioning of her choice to paint instead of photographing spaces also led her to realise her profound passion for tactility. When asked about her first exploration into the possibility of using cement for painting, she shares, “I came to recognise my strong inclination towards the tactile nature of painting after being questioned why the choice of painting instead of photographing. Exploring with cement as a medium has enabled me to push the boundaries of texture in my two-dimensional works even further.”
As visitors experience the works in the exhibition, my hope is that they find spaces and corners for personal reflections, reminding themselves of a grounded heart.
Kayleigh hopes that through her works, viewers will be able to find a quiet space for much-needed reflection and contemplation, which can often be challenging to find amidst our busy lives as humans. “I've come to understand that aiming for a single emotion that resonates with all viewers is challenging. What we can strive for is to evoke a spectrum of emotions. As visitors experience the works in the exhibition, my hope is that they find spaces and corners for personal reflections, reminding themselves of a grounded heart,” she says.
All in all, Salutogenesis is an exhibition that extends an invitation to all seeking solace from their hectic schedules, offering a moment to simply pause, breathe, and find respite. “The artworks invite contemplation about both good and bad times, and how we strive to achieve inner peace. Learning to let go and rediscover stillness within ourselves is a difficult journey. Even as an artist advocating for peace of mind, I, too, encounter struggles in finding tranquillity. It remains a constant practice, knowing that chaos may revisit, but I hold onto the aspiration of becoming more grounded with each challenge,” Kayleigh ends off.
Salutogenesis runs till August 6 at Gajah Gallery.
