Interview with Fiona Si Hui: “Understanding identity is intimate and can be self-revealing over time. I struggled or still struggle to speak about myself and with painting it’s a form of discourse.”
Fiona Si Hui, a Dublin-based artist, beautifully captures emotional states and memories in her figurative oil paintings. She talks of her artistic journey after shifting from 3D Games Art to Fine Art, and offers a glimpse into her upcoming project on cross-cultural exchange between Chinese cuisine and Irish heritage. 
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Fiona, and I was born here in Dublin. My artist name ‘Fiona Si Hui’ is made up of my first name and Chinese first name combined.
How did you begin as an artist?
I was always interested in art in general and the different forms they come in like, manga, animation, and video games. But my obsession with oil painting started out when I picked up a second-hand copy of Joseph Sheppard’s book ‘How to Paint like the Old Masters’ from Chapters. This book was like a step-by-step cookbook with images explaining techniques and medium recipes.
I was fascinated how old masterpieces were created and it was like learning alchemy. So, I spent a phase in my late teens learning and painting for fun. After I got back into painting in my 20’s, I applied to shows and shared my work online and continued from there.
You transitioned from 3D Game Art to Fine Arts. What prompted your shift?
I originally planned on working in the games industry doing concept art. I loved the idea of worldbuilding and creating visuals for these ideas and worlds. After graduating, I was burnt out and at a lost as to what to do in life. I realised I wasn’t interested in what the games industry had to offer anymore, it felt restrictive. After moving back to Dublin, I had my old art supplies around that I never threw away. I decided to have a go back at it and it was liberating. It returned the sense of motivation for improvement and the sense of identity. Of course, the paintings I made at that point were awful, but I kept at it!
Can you tell us about your art?
I am a figurative painter that works with oils. I explore on the emotive states that presents themselves during memories, or how we perceive them with various lenses like nostalgia in an introspective manner. Through that I touch down on other themes that intersect, to whatever feels relevant to me at the time.
What has influenced your artistic direction?
It’s difficult to pinpoint what my influences are; its more of an amalgamation of things I loved growing up. Like anime, manga, games, mythology…I’m in constant awe of the results of human creativity.
With music, it can be a singular sentence from a song that creates a visual bite in my head.
What challenges or breakthroughs in your artistic journey inspired the themes of your works?
I do think my work can be auto-biographical, as I often put my own perceptions onto them. Understanding identity is intimate and can be self-revealing over time. I struggled or still struggle to speak about myself and with painting it’s a form of discourse. When people look for advice for people on how to speak to others, the advice is usually ‘ask about the other person, because people love to talk about themselves’. I applied the same advice to my practice, and it helps me in engage with others through that.
How do you effectively capture these elements of multi-dimensional human emotions in your artwork?
A piece I will use as an example is called ‘Mother’s Closet’. It’s a piece I created after the loss of my father. I wanted to encapsulate all the emotions I felt, from heartache, acceptance, adaptation, exhaustion under the umbrella of grief. I depicted the model looking at the viewer as candid as possible, but I also presented the vulnerable side layered together. I try to have elements that viewers can create an understanding of, though their interpretations can differ to my own intent.
What message or theme do you hope people take away from seeing your work?
If it felt relatable to somebody, that’s enough for me. People in general seek connection even if it’s with a stranger. If I can manage that, I’m satisfied.
Any advice for aspiring artists looking to explore similar themes or painting techniques?
Paint what you want. Understanding your medium of choice helps in achieving your results so don’t forget about the technical side of painting. Doing so can help you solidify your technique and process.
The foundation of my work starts from photographic references I take which I digitally edit to hammer down an atmosphere I’m chasing to capture. I then paint my interpretation of the reference and play around with it, choosing what to represent or abstract. Focusing on parts I think are interesting. I anchor a specific colour palette in mind for each piece. I would pick a dominant colour and be selective on the undertones of the relating colours. I have a tendency for cool tone shades, and for a while people would associate my work for its heavy blue tones.
Any future shows or projects we should keep an eye out for?
Now, I am working on a project that’s about the cultural exchange between Chinese food and Irish culture and heritage. Through the lens of my family’s takeaway, I aim to show an intimate behind the scenes of the people that make a 3 in one on a typical Friday evening. It’s a project that’s pretty special and close to home.
To contact or learn more about Fiona Si Hui’s work follow her on social media:
Instagram: @fiona_sihui
Website: fionasihui.com
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