“Harbinger” is a new body of work by Shian, comprising illustrations and handsewn textiles that draw from the symbolic tradition of Chinese folk art.

At the heart of the exhibition is an instinctive exploration of animal symbolism and the reshaping of cultural memory—how meanings are assigned, inherited, and transformed over time. The burden of turbulence are placed onto these creatures, letting them carry doubt, rage, and the quiet desire for change. There is no fixed logic here—the kites merely suggest flight and the tigers serve soup here.

Harbinger inhabits the space between tradition and instinct, root and release. It doesn’t offer resolution, but rests in the unease of transformation—a point of transition where something is ending, and something else is just beginning to take shape.

Illustration by Ng Yin Shian | @shiaaaan

A3 Print

Printed on 170gsmuncoated acid-free paper