Field Review | Artist Interview Series
In conversation with
Robert R Redman
I am an autistic, visually impaired and self-taught oil painting artist. I had classic training in Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Stem Cell Biology. During lockdown, I started to create oil painting. Due to the limit of my eyesight that I was diagnosed not to be able to see a real 3D image, I have been developing techniques to illustrate so-called “3D” images through my eyes. Subsequently, he was diagnosed of Autism in September 2023. Creating oil painting calms me down and helps me to be able to concentrate and focus on what I am doing at the moment. It also lifts up the tension and negativity coming from autism. I love communicating with people through my paintings. Reaching a wider range of audience will help me developing my style.
From:
UK
Artist Statement
When I am creating my art work, I enjoy the happiness and satisfaction through my brushes and knives. The process fills with encouragement. The painting does changes from time to time while creating the piece of painting. It is the beauty of oil paintings that it develops from adding one layer to another. It properly represents the abundance and diversity of my ideas. Sometimes, I release the negativity on my canvas as well. The process is very satisfied when it works out. It brings lots of optimisation and enjoyment to me helping me overcome the mental stress from autism. I hope to share this experience with more people, especially encouraging people with autism and those who are experiencing difficulties in their life at the moment. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Currently, I am looking for support to study an MSc degree of art therapy and then do a Ph D research about how art therapy will help autistic children to have a supportive and positive experience going onto adulthood.
Tell us about yourself and your artistic background.
During lockdown, I was on furlough for about 6 months. I felt something going on in my mind. When it started to ease out, I had huge problems with going about to so-call normal life as before. I had lots of confrontations at work, in public spaces and with friends. The situation was getting worse and worse. My mental health was unsettling and unpleasant. I had a discussion with my friends who finished or was planning to study an MSc in Art Therapy. Some of my friends were nurses and they told me about the impact of Art Therapy on patients. They did see obvious improvement in some patients that Art Therapy did help patients in a unique way. They recommended me to try painting or drawing. It might lift up the anxiety and stress in my mind. If I felt better while creating art works, that would be the best news. I did water colour and colour pencil in my childhood. Those two materials were not flexible. It would create another stress disturbing my autistic mind. I started to learn oil painting techniques virtually. I had been watching YouTube and Instagram channels for creating visual art works for about a year. During the process, there was a way to express my ideas gradually forming in my mind. Therefore, I decided to do oil painting that it took time to dry. The process provides more time to play with the colours even if I am eager to change it on the next day. Finally, I created my first oil painting on 21st January 2021.
How would you describe your artistic practice?
I am a full time artist now that I will paint whenever, wherever and whatever I want to create. Some of the topics are shouting out loud in my face straight away. Subsequently, I do some research on the topic. Naturally, there are designs showing up in my mind. I am eager to paint the pictures out on my canvas. If I am not satisfied with the result, I leave it in the background. I will do some more research on the subject and watch more learning videos virtually. Sometime, a brand new image expresses in my mind that I will paint the new idea over the old one. It can be very messy if I keep trying to “FIX” a painting. Sometimes, I just want to paint, especially when I am unable to verbalise something happened to me in that time. Due to my autistic character, it happens quite often. Practicing painting is a very good way to let things out rather than doing something hurtful or bad. Due to the limit of my eyesight that I was diagnosed not to be able to see a real 3D image, I have been developing techniques to illustrate so-called “3D” images through my eyes. I will just go with the follow, and don’t think too much. I have created several popular pieces in that situation.
What themes or ideas are most important in your work?
I love plants, nature and animal in that order. I love plants in general, especially the one with stunning bloom or potential to be used as medicine. Rose means a lot to me that it was my late sister's name. Painting rose is a unique link between my sister and me. Whenever I miss her, I paint a rose. I also love cherry blossom. I grew up with it in Taiwan. It reminds me all the abundance and transition of my life. I love traveling that I enjoy experience different cultures and embrace the beauty of nature that I observe scenery in details even if I have impaired vision. I love animals, especially fish. I have had lots of them as pets in my life. I enjoy watching fish swimming in water. Koi shows elegance and strength at the same time. It reminds me that I can be kind and influential at the same time in my life. I was born in Taiwan. I have lived in the UK, mainly Scotland, since 2009. The themes related to Taiwan and Scotland also have a special meanings to me that both of them appear in my paintings as well.
What inspires your creative process?
I collect ideas through my daily life. It may be shocking news, it may be the love through taking care of my plants, it may be the emotional process that I miss somebody, it may be an energetic hiking in countryside and so on. There will be images appearing in my mind that touches my heart. I do my best to translate the imagination, emotion and energy through my brushes and knives on a canvas. Since I attend so exhibition, either my paintings or others, I learn a lot from looking at how other artists constructed their ideas. t also helps me to form my own design, especially I am not satisfied with my design of certain paintings. Autism makes me experience life different from neurotypical people. Also, the impaired eyesight makes me “see” the world differently. I do my best to use those characters as different methods to illustrate my ideas rather than draping into the negative impacts.
Can you tell us about a recent artwork or project?
Recently, I open a new series of painting, Alba Àlainn. It means beautiful Scotland in Gaelic. Since I moved to Edinburgh in 2009, I have been to lots of places in Scotland and experienced Scottish culture. Scotland is my second hometown now. I don’t think that I will move to another country sooner or later. While portraying my birth place Taiwan, I also express my love and emotion of Scotland in my paintings. The first painting of this series, Alba Àlainn 01, is about the beautiful coastline of Isle of May where I visited multiple times for watching puffins. I also added the wild flower, thistles, gorses and highland castle to enhance the flavour of Scotland.
What challenges have influenced your development as an artist?
Due to the limit of my eyesight, it is difficult for me to illustrate refined details. Sometimes, the colour I see is not necessary the same as everybody. However, it is the beauty of art that everybody translate the work in different ways so that the colour difference may be an advantage for me to play with colours. I love plants, and I spend lots of time with plants so that I am very confident in painting plants. I like animals just not as much as plants. While I paint an animal, I am not as confident and satisfied as conducting works with plants. Human is the worst subject to me and I normally don’t do human portrait even in activities. There is another challenge that I am in the dilemma whether I just paint whatever I want or consider about commercial volubility. Life is expensive. I do love conducting my art works. However, it doesn’t really bring me money. I started to generate side products this year. The side products do bring me the money to live and create more paintings. Art is very subjective. Whatever I want to paint is unnecessarily to echo with audience. How to get a balance between these two factors is another art.
What role does art play in your life today?
Art is always an important part of my life. Music classes and art classes were my favourite ones in my school years. I did water colour and colour pencil painting in my childhood. I always love music that I worship Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart a lot. As an oil painting artist, art is the main mission in my life. I am happy and calm while painting. It is a magic way to deal with all the negativity coming from autism. It is also a beautiful way to show people the inner world of myself. I love the feeling of relief after creating a painting. Painting does help and support my mental health a lot. Thay is the reason why I am looking for funds to become an art therapist. Due to my autistic character, I would like to focus on supporting autistic children professionally.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I focus on producing my side products that there are multiple art market lining up for me to earn a life. In the painting series, I am working on a new series, Alba Àlainn, which means beautiful Scotland in Gaelic. Sadly, I don’t speak Gaelic. It might be another goal for future. Since I moved to Edinburgh in 2009, Scotland becomes my second hometown. The beauty of Scotland is unique. There is a bit poignant feeling while travelling in the highland of Scotland. My friends told me that there was an interesting play with prospective in this series of painting that I have never thought about it. It is basically how I see the world. It seems to be a bit chaotic for neurotypical people with normal eyesight. However, playing different prospective views in one painting is very interesting. I am looking forward to creating more paintings in this series.
What are your future goals as an artist?
I would like to share my experience of art with more people that I pursue a career as an art therapist. Subsequently, I will combine my profession in Neuroscience and Art Therapy to do a research on how art therapy can support autistic children to grow up in a supportive and lesser stressful environment. I want to use art therapy as a tool for autistic children to understand themselves and communicate with others, especially when they in the situation avoiding speaking or they just don’t speak at all. Art is a powerful and beautiful way to deliver message and thought. My experience of growing up was terrifying and awful even if I am a late diagnosed autistic individual. It doesn’t hit lesser than a child. However, I would love to contribute my living experience and profession to help autistic children having a much better route toward adulthood.
Where can readers follow your work?
I constantly write and update my paintings in my website. https://www.rrrgallery.co.uk/. I talk about my oil painting practice, exhibition, and autism. Feel free to subscribe my channel. I also share my art, exhibition and art market activity on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/rrrgallery/. Feel free to follow my account. Sending me an email or message, I am very happy to discuss. If you are in Edinburgh, let’s have a cup of coffee and talk.
