Handmade polaroids

31 May 2018 / 13:41 H.

    RELYING only on watercolour and an empty polaroid card, Beatrice Eugenie Ho employed her art skills to capture scenic moments of places that she travelled to, most recently Japan.
    Born and bred in Kuala Lumpur, she takes capturing moments to a whole new level, creating it on the spot and one piece at a time. As a graduate in graphic design, her pathway wasn't always a straight line.
    Prior to this, Ho actually studied A-Levels and then pursued a degree in Mass Communication. Reaching a turning point in her life, she put that to a halt and started over where she finally had the courage to pursue her dream of becoming a graphic designer.
    How did this start?
    My 2017 goal was actually to live out alone but I couldn't do it because my parents were worried about my safety. So instead of moving out, I decided to put my savings towards travelling and that journey was what inspired this Japan polaroid series. I chose Japan first because it's a safe and informative country.
    Throughout that holiday, I've been to several cities and captured moments of places I wouldn't want to forget by making my own polaroids.
    Have you always had a passion for art and design?
    I have always liked art and my parents influenced my creative flair. But I had a lot of fears and doubts and it took me a while to decide on pursuing graphic design. Deep down, I knew I was going to regret it later in life if I didn't pursue my dream.
    How long does one creation usually take?
    Every scenery varies actually. It all depends if I decide to scrap what I created and start over again if I'm unhappy with it. As an artist and graphic designer, I'm always tempted to improve it. More often than not, I need to remind myself to get the job done and move on.
    What makes a scenery polaroid worthy for you to capture it?
    Firstly, what I look for is if that scenery has a place for me to sit on to be able to capture the moment comfortably. Secondly, polaroid worthy sceneries are subjects that I rarely see in my daily life like special flowers or majestic waterfalls.
    How do you incorporate photoshop and illustrator into your work?
    Photoshop and illustrator are mainly used to tweak some details that can't be done by hand. Incorporating digital elements is my favourite. Like the little logo, I designed for the polaroid series to the fonts used to name the places I've been. A lot of thought and consideration are put into every polaroid created to give it an extra imaginative feel.
    Why choose polaroids?
    It's a sentiment for film cameras. I have a few film cameras and I'm having fun with it. I collect postcards as well. People these days still appreciate postcards even though we can send an email easily. That made me combine the idea of a polaroid and a postcard into one. A lot of my designs can be found and bought online.
    Do you find it artistically challenging sometimes? How many creations have you destroyed?
    I'd say it's definitely challenging at times and many artists would agree. When it comes to art, sometimes we can be so critical of ourselves and always get tempted to change our designs. I've lost track of how many creations I've destroyed but it's also a chance for me to keep on improving my artistic side and be better.
    Are you doing this full time?
    Yes, I am and I'm currently in the works of developing other projects as well, exploring different child-like or fantasy themes.
    Where have you travelled to and where will you be visiting next?
    So far, I've only been on a solo trip to Japan and for my next stop I'll be in Taiwan where I'll be ringing in the New Year and doing another polaroid series there.


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