“I always think of children as very happy and innocent. They bring me lots of joy. I hope that when viewers look at my paintings, they can reflect on things from their childhood that they may have lost.” – Chong Soon Leong Emerging artist Chong Soon Leong captures the innocence of children in his paintings. Choong illustrates a pair of school-age children (perhaps siblings) striking a pose. A girl, wearing a vertical striped dress is standing with her palm resting on the boy’s head. The boy is seated on the ground with his arms and legs crossed. Both look confident, seem poised to face any challenges in life. Set in perhaps the indoor courtyard of a Peranakan home, the blue-and-white tiles as well as the porcelain vase in the background suggest so. Chong Soon Leong obtained a degree in fine art from the University of the West of England in 2014. In 2012, he received a diploma in fine art from Dasein Academy of Art. He has participated in various exhibitions namely Merah Putih Biru Kuning (2018), Project Room: Peekaboo (2017), Youngest (2016) and Locals Only (2015).