‘There’s no shortcut’: Painter Louisa Raj on leaving the corporate world to focus on art full-time

SINGAPORE: Perhaps Louisa Raj is best known for turning everyday objects, such as say, rice packaging or a bottle of Tiger Balm, into works of art.

While the landing page of her website reads, “I paint ordinary things,” her artist’s eye is toward turning these objects into symbols of culture and identity.

Ms Raj was shortlisted as a finalist for the UOB Painting of the Year in 2023 and 2024, and last year, was commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board to create a mural for the F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

@louisarajart

Someone commented on my TikTok saying they had a project for me and to check my DMs. Thank goodness I saw it and replied. It turned out to be a 15-metre digital mural commissioned by Singapore tourism Board @Visit Singapore for the F1 Singapore hospitality suite. The brief was a nostalgic coffee shop scene from 1980s Singapore. As a huge F1 fan who watches every race, i still can’t believe it. #singaporeartist #formula1 #singaporegp #nightrace

♬ original sound – MOTORSPORT FILES

It would be easy to then see Ms Raj, whose debut solo art exhibition, “Rice is Nice,” opened on January 17 at Wasuka Art, through the rose-coloured glasses people wear when they see artists. Except that her story is quite different, and she made the transition from the corporate world to a full-time artist with the same precision and care with which she gives each of her paintings.

Ms Raj worked for many years in actuarial science and technology. Largely self-taught as an artist, she worked on her paintings in the evenings and on weekends, featuring her process and progress on her Instagram and TikTok accounts.

This caught the attention of others, and sales and commissions, such as one from a man who asked her to paint his core memories from his primary school years, followed.

@louisarajart

This is your sign to turn your memory into a painting! DM me if you’re thinking about it 🙂 I’m opening up a few commission slots before my next exhibition. #singaporeartist #acrylicpainting #realism #nostalgia

♬ Storytelling – Adriel

In March 2025, when she had more demand for her artwork than what could be handled apart from her corporate job, and with her savings in place, she made the deliberate choice to step away from her job. “When those pieces came together — consistency of work, clear demand, and practical readiness — I knew it was time,” she said.

“I knew I wanted to be a painter for the rest of my life. I think a lot of people are sitting with that same feeling today — something they care deeply about that doesn’t fit neatly into a job title.

At the same time, there is real economic uncertainty, so leaving a stable job isn’t something people take lightly. I didn’t reject structure or stability. I worked within it for a long time, while slowly building something that mattered to me, until it became clear what I needed to commit to,” the artist added.

While still at her job, she also did everything she could to learn about Singapore’s art scene, which meant visiting galleries and exhibitions regularly, as well as speaking to collectors and other artists to see how the art world functioned.

Some years before making her decision, she also took a 10-month hiatus from the corporate world, which gave her an idea of what the life of an artist would be like and what she was ready for.

Rice is Nice

In her exhibition catalogue, Ms Raj references a Tang dynasty poem by Li Shen: 锄禾日当午，汗滴禾下土；谁知盘中餐，粒粒皆辛苦 (The farmer works under the midday sun, sweat falling onto the soil; who knows that every grain of food on the plate comes from hard labour).

This explains her approach to her subject, she clarified. While rice can fade into the background of our lives, producing it requires “sustained effort and labour.”

“By painting rice packaging at a much larger scale and with hyper-realistic detail, I wanted to slow people down. The work may feel familiar or even light-hearted at first, but beneath that is an interest in effort, repetition, and care.”

As to what she hopes people will take away from the exhibition, she said “answering a calling isn’t about making a dramatic exit. It’s about recognising what you’re already giving your time to and being honest about whether you’re willing to keep showing up for it. There’s no shortcut. Whatever path you choose will demand commitment, responsibility, and sacrifice.”

Ms Raj’s exhibition runs until February 15, 2026. /TISG

Read also: President Halimah Yacob inaugurates solo exhibit of Cultural Medallion winner, artist Goh Beng Kwan