Gallery
Mahjong Series: 菊 Chrysanthemum
Acrylic on canvas
16 × 20 inches
The third in the Flower Tiles 花牌 series is the Chrysanthemum 菊花. In Chinese culture, no poet is more identified with the chrysanthemum than Tao Yuanming (陶淵明, also known as Tao Qian 陶潛 365–427). Having retired from official life to tend his garden, he elevated the flower into an enduring symbol of reclusion, moral integrity, and independence.
His famous fifth poem beautifully captures the essence of his pastoral life:
採菊東籬下，悠然見南山。
I pluck chrysanthemums beneath the eastern fence, And leisurely, I gaze upon the southern mountains.
This simple act of gathering flowers became a literary shorthand for a mind detached from worldly ambition, epitomizing those who content with a simple, contemplative life and remain true to themselves. Blooming in late autumn and early winter, a chilly season when most other flora withers, the chrysanthemum represents tranquility, maturity and the resilience to thrive in harsh conditions.
Mahjong Series: 兰 Orchid
Acrylic on canvas
16 × 20 inches
The Four Gentlemen 四君子 or Flower Tiles 花牌 in mahjong typically feature four distinct plants. In the Chinese culture, they are symbols of moral integrity.
The next in this series is Orchid 蘭花 or 兰花 in simplified Chinese. The orchid represents spring and the Confucian ideal of an upright, noble person. It symbolizes humility, purity, and personal integrity. Orchids naturally thrive deep within secluded valleys, far from the admiration of others as they release their subtle fragrance. Their elegant growth symbolizes a refined character that does not seek fame or applause, and a quiet virtue that is intrinsic.
Mahjong Series: 梅 Plum Blossom
Acrylic on canvas
16 × 20 inches
The Four Gentlemen 四君子 or Flower Tiles 花牌 in mahjong typically feature four distinct plants. In the Chinese culture, they are symbols of moral integrity.
One of them is the Plum Blossom 梅花, which represents resilience, perseverance and renewal. This delicate, late winter bloom is revered because it is one of the earliest tree flowers to emerge, while winter still lingers and most other plants remain dormant.
Mahjong flower tiles are special bonus tiles that are set aside immediately when drawn and replaced from the wall, rather than being used to form sets. And just like all the beautiful things you receive, you simply hold onto them.
Birth/Alive 生 2026
Acrylic on canvas
80 × 100 cm
The Chinese character 生 means birth and alive. It primarily signifies life, growth, and existence. While it encompasses various concepts related to birth, development and survival, it mainly denotes the state of being alive.
The character 生 which is originally a compound ideogram, represents the emergence of a plant from the earth, symbolizing the beginning of a new life cycle. In ancient oracle bone script, the character portrays a sprouting plant, with a horizontal stroke below symbolizing the ground and a bifurcation above representing the plant's branches and leaves.
Blending intentional planning with singular definitive strokes, I attempt to capture the spontaneous and visceral nature of birth, the orderly and geometric elegance of growth, and the miracle of life.
Birth/Alive
msolikin
There’s a sacred quality
about birth.
The moment
when nothing becomes
alive.
Is the path destined
before or after birth?
Is there a choice
to grow and become?
The miracle of life.
Venus Flytrap: Duo 2026
Acrylic on canvas
50 x 60 cm
Duo
msolikin
It takes two flints
To make a fire
The immutable
Yin and Yang.
The dance of duality,
Where everything emerges.
Venus Flytrap: Solo 2026
Acrylic on canvas
50 x 60 cm
Solo
msolikin
Does a plant dream
Of the forest?
So close to each other,
Yet out of reach
Content among the trees,
Is solitude alone?
Venus Flytrap 2026
Acrylic on canvas
80 x 100 cm
The Venus Flytrap Series is available in
Limited Edition Prints
The Venus flytrap is one the most wonderful plants in the world - Charles Darwin
The idea of the Venus flytrap started with an interesting family discussion. My husband shared one of his most vivid childhood memories: an encounter with this intriguing plant as a young boy. Like any curious child, he put his finger in the trap and witnessed it snap shut instantly. Our children were astonished, and the discussion spiraled into a flurry of questions: How big was the plant? Did your finger hurt? Did the flower stink?… In short, we were fascinated by this carnivorous plant: a contradictory misfit and an eccentric anomaly in the world of flora. It stands as the evidence of the adaptability and evolutionary nature of living beings.
Venus Flytrap
msolikin
Squeezed between classes,
Defied and refused to conform.
A deadly hunter with a deceptive invite,
Yet vulnerable underfoot.
Relying merely on persistence,
A misfit making its own rules.
Mahjong Series: 發 Faat no.4 2025
Acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Private Collection
The Faat Series is available in
Limited Edition Prints
There are 4 of identical tiles for each mahjong tile. A collection of these identical tiles is called 槓 Gong. This concludes the 發 Faat series.
Mahjong Series: 發 Faat no.3 2025
Acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Private Collection
When you win a mahjong game, is it because of the art of strategy or the precision of calculated execution or just pure luck?
Mahjong Series: 發 Faat no.2 2025
Acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Private Collection
My previous profession dealt with financial numbers and calculations. These works reflect the part of me which craves precision, clarity and predictability.
Mahjong Series: 發 Faat no.1 2025
Acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Private Collection
In mahjong, 發 Faat belongs to the Dragon Tiles 三元牌 which are under the Honour Tiles 字牌. The Dragon Tiles are some of the most important and meaningful tiles. The green colour signifies sincerity while the character symbolizes prosperity and wealth, often linked to the saying “to strike it rich”.
Mahjong Series: 發 Faat no.1, 2, 3, 4 2025
Acrylic mahjong tiles
6.3 x 8.3 x 2.5 cm
When canvas turns to tiles
When you hear the sparrows chirping
When you can hold it close
When fortune knocks at your door
Vision 2025
Acrylic on canvas
40 x 40 inches
Our existence is somewhat similar to a tunnel vision. The universe is vast but we can’t view or know its entirety. Our curiosity is like a telescope, leading us to seek out new visions and novel ideas. Hence, we are curious when we see a tunnel, an aperture or a window. Wondering what’s behind it?
Vision
msolikin
There was a soft velvet curtain
With slight creases and gentle folds
Ever drawn to a flicker of light
Pulling it aside to look outside
Surge 2024
Selected for London Art Biennale 2025
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
For interest, please contact
Gagliardi Gallery, London
Surge
msolikin
It always begins with a stir
No one really knows why
Perhaps it starts with a thought
Follows by restlessness
Which becomes intent
Then it surges and dances
It always begins with a stir…
心 Heart Variation 1 2025
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Mother’s Choice HK Charity Auction Private Collection
As an image appears there are many possibilities how it will manifest as a painting. It is a process of choosing the medium, the technique, colour combinations, the size of the canvas, etc .. As a series of decisions are made, there’s a lingering feeling, pondering and imagining the different outcome if the other possibility was chosen instead. So out of this tugging feeling, a variation is born. This piece is a variation of the earlier work using another style. A style which has been urging me to reveal itself.
心 Heart 2025
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Private Collection
Available in Limited Edition Prints
I asked myself what this word means to me. The answer is not words but the sound of the first heart beats of my children from the ultrasound scan. It means the beginning. Each heart beat is a new moment of beginning. What does this word mean to you?
Geometric shapes have always interest me. The construction of this piece is based on Fibonacci sequence. I’m amazed how nature is able to create mathematically derived shapes. There is order and harmony in the randomness.
Heart
msolikin
Delicate as a flower
Strong as steel
A new beginning
In every beat
EnKounter 2024
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Available in Limited Edition Prints
My visit to a champagne cellar inspired this painting of the eternal Mobius strips. The circles represent thousands of horizontally stacked champagne bottles hidden from the outside world. The mystical Mobius strips signify endless energy, the perpetuation of the dream of the founder and the continuation of legacy and tradition.
Glide 2024
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Available in Limited Edition Print
Glide
msolikin
Mesmerized by the vastness
Awed by the depth
To feel the embrace
To hear the flutters
Glide through the unknown
Glide through it all
Flow 2023
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Private Collection
Flow
msolikin
Are you intrigued by the interconnectedness of life?
While each of us has our own path,
we also encounter and coincide with numerous others
Do you wonder about the entanglement of life?
How each of us affects the others,
depends on another, be there for each other
Can you feel…the flow~?
Mahjong 2023
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Available in Limited Edition Prints
Mahjong is the same and different for everyone. Triumph, defeat, frustration, laughter, regret, excitement and delight.
Mahjong anyone?
宋 Song 2024
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 30 inches
Private Collection
The colours of this piece are inspired by 千里江山圖 (A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains) by 王希孟 (Wang Ximeng) painted during the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960-1279) which was a time of prosperity and advancement. It uses the blue-green shan shui (青綠山水) Chinese painting style with blues and greens as main colours using the scarce mineral pigments azurite and malachite to depict the peaceful and prosperous country. This masterpiece by Wang Ximeng is one of the ten most famous Chinese paintings in history (中國十大名畫) and is in the permanent collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.
家 Home 2023
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches
Private Collection
Home: a place of warmth and strength
Wooden tones for strength
Red tones for warmth
香 Hong Kong 2023
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 30 inches
Available in Limited Edition Prints
A tribute to Hong Kong’s vibrancy and resilience. It represents the iconic symbol of Hong Kong: a wooden junk boat with red sails on a blue sea.
Summer Is Here 2020
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 31.5 inches
Available in Limited Edition Prints
家 Home 2022
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 30 inches
Private Collection
樂 Joy 2022
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 30 inches
M 2022
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches
Private Collection
Sunflake No 2 2022
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Sunflake No 1 2022
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Coffee Is Here 2022
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches
Love Is Here 2022
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches
Rose 1989
Water colour on paper
26 x 37 cm
Journal Entry on Sept 2025: I can barely recall but I must have encountered Salvador Dali’s work during my art lessons in secondary school as it was pre-internet era. His surrealism was disturbing and bizarre yet captivating, the stuffs dreams were made of. His work made my stomach churn.
Today, as I entered the Eros/Thanatos exhibition by Sotheby’s HK, I gasped. Meditative Rose by Dali in flesh. I feel like I have waited 36 years for this moment.
Jellycat 2024
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
Caryatid 2024
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
A Caryatid is a sculptured female figure used as a column. I was drawn to the beauty, serenity and strength of the caryatids in the museum. The painting is for my female friends who are each so different, but all are strong.
Rainer Cherries 2024
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
Fav Cake at La Roche Cafe 2023
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
Bagel 2023
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
Private Collection
The Merchants 2023
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
Very Hot Chilli 2023
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
Box of Love for £1 2023
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
Caution Wet Floor 2023
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm
As a mum, signs like this usually caught my attention. Even though the kids are older now, I can’t really shake it off.
Coffee Helps 2023
Water colour on paper
21 x 30 cm