School of Creative
Industries
Suwen Low
Having worked, studied and volunteered in several countries, Malaysian-born Suwen currently resides in Singapore. Her experiences of over 15 years include community engagement, communications-partnership and resource development, stakeholder engagement, executive roles, social entrepreneurship and relief work.
Suwen’s primary area of interest is building connections between different communities, increasing accessibility to opportunities and investing in education and development within marginalised, stigmatised and often overlooked communities. Throughout her career she has engaged meaningfully with various groups including refugees, migrants, women with high risk pregnancies, children and adolescents affected by abuse and/or poverty, rough sleepers, those involved in the sex trade and hospitalised individuals with medical conditions.
In addition to her professional experience, she is also an accomplished artist with a BA(Hons) Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins and a member of the Singapore Art Society. Her works have been exhibited in London and Kuala Lumpur and are held in several private collections.
Work
Chaos to Release and Order
Chinese ink on stretched canvas
76 x 120 cm each
2023
This diptych captures fragments of the artist's pursuit of safety, control, focus, and balance amidst transitions and uncertainties, closely intertwined with her therapeutic work with patients hospitalised for complex medical needs or safety concerns related to trauma and violence. Her unconventional, repetitive mark-making methods and ritualistic creative process imbue the artwork with a meditative state of flow, containing the experiences of both patient and artist.
Through a fusion of repurposed Chinese inks on canvas, the artwork transcends predetermined outcomes, revealing the artist's profound connections with nature and culture. An interplay of light and shadow, reminiscent of the ever-changing natural world, encourages viewers to reflect on their own transitions, uncertainties and personal quests for stability and autonomy.
Thesis abstract
Exploring the lived experiences of inpatients with high-risk pregnancies through time-limited art therapy: A reflexive thematic analysis.
This thesis undertakes a qualitative, practitioner-based investigation of the use of time-limited art therapy in exploring the lived experiences of inpatients admitted for high-risk pregnancies at a maternity hospital in Southeast Asia. The findings indicate that time-limited art therapy may hold promise as a psychosocial intervention for inpatients with high-risk pregnancies, with the potential to positively impact mental health outcomes and overall well-being. Utilising reflexive thematic analysis of clinical material from thirteen participants over five art therapy sessions, including artworks and therapeutic reflections, key themes were identified that surfaced from the sessions. Three themes emerged through the data which were: (1) the hospitalisation experience, (2) responsibilities and plans and (3) connection and support. Despite limitations, such as a small sample size and subjective data, this thesis aims to make a meaningful contribution to the scant literature on art therapy interventions with inpatients with high-risk pregnancies.