KOTA KINABALU: Since moving to Sabah, artist Christianne Goonting has found inspiration everywhere.
“It is easy to be inspired here. You don’t even have to leave the house to find it. There is so much that inspires me in Sabah. You see inspiration in every aspect – the nature, the flora and fauna, the traditions and culture,’ said the artist at the Patterns and Colors of Sabah Exhibition 2011 held at the State Gallery near here yesterday.
That probably explains why Christianne is among the few artists who actively participate in every exhibition besides donating her works for charity purposes.
When Christianne is not painting, she would be organizing workshops and helping budding artists learn the tricks of the trade.
“I keep active all the time,” she said.
Christianne has proved skeptics wrong by making a comfortable living just from the income derived from her artistic talent.
“I am not filthy rich but I am doing fine with the income I get from the sale of my artwork and from the workshops I conduct,” she said.
She said she uses acrylic on canvas in her 75cm by 75cm painting themed ‘Sands of time’, which is featured at the exhibition.
Since the theme for the exposition calls for the use of traditional patterns, Christianne chose colorful sequins to create glitter on a starfish, which is the main focus of her painting.
“I used sequins because most local costumes (traditional) use sequins. I sewed them on the canvas,” she said.
“The foundation for my painting is from traditional practices, mixed with a whiff of modernity.”