Mixed media, 2026
Ang Mia Kuang Marc
Valour Primary School
This artwork reflects the lived experience of memory loss and the quiet changes it brings over time. Dementia can blur people, events, and everyday moments, creating uncertainty and emotional distance. Yet within this confusion, certain things remain familiar. Plants, especially frangipani trees, offer comfort and reassurance, becoming steady presences when memories begin to shift.
The hanging mobile represents the unstable nature of memory. Its movement mirrors how thoughts drift and change, sometimes gently, sometimes unexpectedly. As time passes, memories may overlap, fade, or lose sharpness rather than disappear completely. The leaves are made from layered tracing paper, showing how memory can feel clear at times and hazy at others. Bandages woven into the leaves reflect both hurt and care, acknowledging the emotional impact of memory loss while also pointing to protection, patience, and support.
The work does not promise recovery or clear resolution. Instead, it holds space for hope in a different form. Even as memories change, connection remains possible. With time, compassion, and understanding, healing can take place—not by returning to the past, but by learning how to live meaningfully in the present.
What surprised you when you allowed yourself to start with play?
When I began to play, I found the freedom to learn, unlearn, and relearn. I became more daring and adventurous, treating mistakes as friends. I explored ideas creatively, digging deeper into possibilities. It feels like a video game—overcoming challenges and bosses stage by stage to reach my goal.
What is one play hack you would like to share to help fellow teacher-artists experiment and create without expectations?
Allow mistakes and disappointment. Treat every experience as a stepping stone. Look within ideas and take time to understand them. Make connections between materials and concepts, put these ideas into lessons, and encourage students to explore, take risks, and grow with the same mindset.
Click here to view the artists’ process!
Read more about ►EDGE 2026 and the existing artworks.
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