Fairy Tales from the Celestial Garden by Jayanto Tan

Jayanto Tan’s practice often draws on his family archive of memories and memorabilia for inspiration. This exploration serves as a way of remembering and reconnecting with his fragmented heritage. As a young child, Tan observed his mother cooking and preparing offering food for his father. He frequently seeks out family rituals, authentic recipes, objects, signs, and traces that evoke the presence of his loved ones. Tan’s ongoing series of pandan drawings, inspired by the Double Happiness symbol, accompanies ceramic artworks representing the cooking of fish. These works reference the memory associations linked to smell—the fragrance of family gatherings, cooking together in the kitchen, and preparing feasts for the Imlek celebration. As a child, Tan was often asked by his mother to harvest pandan leaves and fish from their backyard garden. Through his current art practice, he strives to preserve and celebrate these rituals and memories.