22nd October 2025 Ms Yanning Yong
It is my great pleasure to introduce Ms Yong, who created this quite unusual artwork with soy sauce. She has written the story to accompany that piece. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
A few years ago, during a family reunion dinner with relatives visiting from overseas, we found ourselves waiting quite a while for the food to arrive. I started doodling on my plate with dark soy sauce.
My parent noticed and immediately told me off. In Chinese culture, playing with food is frowned upon, so to them, it wasn’t just a harmless doodle; it was bad manners. I was shut down before I even had a chance to explain what I was doing. I remember feeling embarrassed, even a bit angry. My first instinct was to defend myself or snap back. But for some reason, I stayed quiet and kept going.
Eventually, I finished the piece. This little soy sauce sketch I hadn’t really planned but felt compelled to complete. And when I looked up, I saw something shift. The disapproval on my parents’ faces gave way to surprise, and maybe even a flicker of pride.
That moment stuck with me. It taught me a lot about patience — about how sometimes, when words won’t land, a quiet gesture can speak louder. It also reminded me that art, no matter how small or unconventional, has the power to soften people, to cross generational and cultural lines, and to create understanding where there was none before.