Betsy Toh is the creative brain behind www.knottybicsie.com.sg. She found a new passion in knitting and crochet, an extremely addictive & therapeutic hobby that she picked up from her mother. In EAT WITH FAMILY, she will be showing her mixed-media piece which transform a photographic image into an interesting blend of yarns, paper, paint and threads.

Catherine interviewed her.

Catherine: Tell us more about your work.

Betsy: The picture is one that I took at the recent Chinese New Year Eve reunion dinner but to me, this is just symbolic of a typical family bonding time. Having meals together as a family is an important ritual during my growing years.

Besides that, the knitting and crochet symbolizes the close-knit familial relationships that weaves and inter-connects with each other. This cheeriness will be represented by the selected warm color scheme.

The instant Kelvin approached me with this theme, this image was already formed at the back of my mind. This theme is definitely seen from a very personal perspective.

C: What draws you to participate in this exhibition?

B: When I first came to know of this national initiative- Eat With Family Day, I didn’t think much of it. Family meals were a common activity that I did with my family so I didn’t see the fuss over it. But now that I’ve married and moved out of my parent’s place, I’ve come not to take this activity for granted. It requires effort to take the time to have a meal with your family. It is something that’s close to our hearts but easily overlooked.

I also strongly believe that character building happens during meal times, especially when the young ones pick up table manners from the older ones.

C: Why did you choose knitting and crochet as your art medium now?

B: As a visual learner, I have watched my mum doing knitting and crochet through all these years but there was no intention to pick up this skill till three years ago where until when I started having doubts about my career path. Then, I told her that I wanted to complete a project within five days. And I did, it was a knitted baby top with my mum’s help. Through these five days, I found it to be a very therapeutic experience. I did a lot of soul searching during this process. It was a very personal journey as I did the crochet.

I started with installation work as an artist. It was an impersonal approach as I handled mainly mirrors and surveillance cameras then. I was attempting to do social commentaries with my pieces. Gradually, it shifted to a more personal tone but a very melancholic one. Knitting and crocheting brings out a different side of me, I use colorful yearns and cheerful tones to symbolize my work.

Now that I have come out of that dark period in my life, I can see how this form of art can bring relief and healing to others. For instance, my students will often take the two-hour lesson as a self-therapy session, one where they can set some time aside for themselves.  To me, it is still a very personal and therapeutic journey till now.

C: How different do you see this form of art from the rest of the art forms such as painting?

B: Knitting and crocheting is seen as a craft rather than a fine art skill. Hence, many feel less threatened by it. It is a skill that they can convince themselves to pick up unlike painting for instance.