MS Features: Artist Louisa Raj on the magic of ‘normal’ objects
Walk into an art gallery, and you won’t be surprised to find the usual suspects on its walls. Paintings of generic fruit bowls, portraits of people you don’t know, and landscapes of places you’ve never been.
However, would a masterful rendering of a Mama Lemon Dishwashing Liquid bottle, and the Milkmaid Condensed Milk Can stop you in your tracks?
Image courtesy of Louisa Raj
36-year-old artist Louisa Raj has spent thousands of hours studying these objects that Singaporeans can recognise at just a glance.
And after teaching herself how to paint six years ago, her artworks have since sold for up to S$7,500.
She shares with MS News what it takes to get started as an artist in Singapore, and what’s next for her.
Left a cushy job in her 30s for her passion
“I was not the artist of my family growing up,” Louisa said with a chuckle. She recounted how her brother stole the show at art competitions and classes.
Her interest in art would take a back seat during her schooling years. And she graduated from university with a ‘practical’ degree in Actuarial Science.
However, during her stint as a professional in the fintech industry, Louisa would return to her first love — painting. All thanks to a female Filipino artist’s artwork that inspired her.
For a while, she juggled her work commitments with her art, devoting two to three hours a day to hone the skill.
And before joining a three-month painting course in La Salle, her first teacher was YouTube.
Louisa said that the move to leave her stable-income job in 2025 had been years in the making.
“It wasn’t a sudden decision,” she said.
“I knew I wanted to do this full-time two to three years into painting as I really loved it, and I had ideas that weren’t possible to execute as a part-time artist.”
She took a leap of faith last year with the support of her husband and her parents, whom she was initially nervous to tell.
“We were always told to prioritise stability… but to my surprise, my parents said they were very proud of me,” said Louisa.
“It made me think: ‘Why did I hesitate for so long when I could have just told them earlier?'”
Why paint ordinary objects?
Now, Louisa spends 10 to 12 hours a day at the easel, working tirelessly on canvases that take an average of 6 weeks to complete.
And while her process is far from straightforward, deciding what she wants to paint comes more naturally.
“Singapore is a major source of inspiration for me, because I paint everyday objects that I grew up with; familiar objects that can be found in supermarkets or at home,” she said.
“I get a lot of inspiration just by going to supermarkets, and eventually I started looking for things that I’ve stopped seeing for a while.”
However, Louisa doesn’t paint just any random object along the packed supermarket aisles.
She’s drawn to items that evoke an emotional response — whether it’s due to a memory or because they feel familiar to her.
Image courtesy of Louisa Raj
“It’s never just about the food or the object,” said Louisa.
On dealing with critics, from strangers or otherwise
Over the years, Louisa has shared her art on social media, where she has now amassed thousands of followers.
However, with more eyeballs on her work comes the “hate comments,” which she has learned to take in stride.
“It doesn’t really bother me… I don’t need people to like my art, but I would love if they feel any kind of emotion,” said Louisa.
“Love it or hate it, feel something, don’t just walk past it.”
More difficult for her, however, are the ‘artist blocks’ — periods when she would feel unmotivated to paint, and the moments of doubt.
“There will be quiet periods when nothing seems to be moving,” she said.
“Working past that feeling is the hardest, because it’s mental.”
But with more experience and confidence in her practice, Louisa found what gets her going: routine and even deadlines.
‘Put yourself out there’
In June, Louisa will be having her first international showcase at an art fair in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“I’m definitely excited, I want to see if people outside of Singapore will relate to my work,” she said.
“While the objects I paint are quite local, the experiences associated with them can be universal.”
Her recent rice bag paintings, for example, evoke the simple comfort of family dinners for most people in rice-consuming Southeast Asia.
Image courtesy of Louisa Raj
Now six years into her practice, Louisa continues to document her art processes and share them online — regardless of what critics have to say.
“The playing field has never been more level with social media,” she advised. “So I strongly encourage all young artists to just put your work out there.”
But for Louisa, discipline is what really matters at the end of the day.
Practice everyday, be consistent, and your craft will only get better.
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