Hailing from George Town, Cindy Leow and Benjamin Lam are a dynamic design duo who inspire and motivate each other in life and in work.
By Eeyan Chuah
White Bones is a husband and wife creative duo based in Penang. The collective was established in 2016, roughly a year after the founders met when they were both working in a local arts & design institute. Although hailing from two different backgrounds—Cindy Leow is a self-taught artist working in marketing while Benjamin Lam is a Master’s art graduate specializing in illustration & visual communication, they find an ease while working together as they share a similar sense of aesthetic. This is proven by the name of their collective which was born from a sculpture of a white skull which they both love.
‘The first year was challenging as we were figuring out how to work around our differences and come together as a creative team, all while we were dating. It took us about two years to truly establish our trademark,’ says Leow when asked if it was risky to start a business together when they had just started dating. ‘I’m just really grateful that for all our collaborative work, we always have the same vision on how to best execute it.’
虎 Tiger, for the exhibition ‘Belang’ at Penang State Art Gallery, March 2020. From a distance, you are able to see that the halftone pattern is actually a close up of a tiger’s face.
So, how do a couple of creatives work together on projects?
Whenever they receive a brief, they will first appoint who the art director is going to be to oversee that particular project. Mood boards are important to guide them and make sure they don’t stray far from their initial ideas. From then on, it’s a matter of working in their own corners while constantly checking to make sure they are on the same page.
Playing to each other’s strengths, the couple have struck up a consistent working relationship. Illustrations will always go to Lam, while patterns layout and abstract work fall under Leow’s stronghold. Take 虎 Tiger for example—Lam came up with the illustration of the tiger while Leow incorporated topography lines and patterns to create an abstract yet interpretational visual of the majestic animal.
View White Bones’ current works at the Kecik-Kecik Group Show 2021: https://hinbusdepot.com/kecik-2021-store.html
One would think that all these processes would be considered work but not for this duo. White Bones might have started out as a business, but with both of them having full time jobs, the last thing they want is for White Bones to end up as a second job. Lam stated that they initially started this collective as a side hustle to supplement their income but came to realise it was more important to them to use this platform to pursue their real interest and create their own art without being encumbered by the financial aspects of things.
‘This is what keeps us sane at the end of the day,’ says Lam, who currently works as a lecturer in Multimedia Design.
‘Yes,’ chips in Leow, who works in digital marketing specialising in Search Engine Optimisation. ‘I may not have come from an art background but I love art and would dabble in whatever projects I could in my free time. I was lucky enough to meet someone with the same creative soul who drives me to explore and nurture my own creativity. As my profession deals with a lot of data which can be very overwhelming, White Bones is like my sanctuary where I can do what I truly love.’
Koralia, 2020. As featured in World Roulette by Light Grey Art Lab.
Which is why they are very selective on the projects they take on, choosing to work not as designers on a client’s brief, but as collective artists on interesting projects. Such as their entry for World Roulette, a fully-illustrated art anthology book featuring works from 150 international artists by Light Grey Art Lab.
As of now, Lam and Leow are gearing up for their upcoming exhibitions. You can view their new works in Reka at Hin Bus Depot; and LangUR: Building Bridge Between Our World at Penang State Museum & Art Gallery.
All photos courtesy of White Bones
Eeyan Chuah—from Penang, lives in Penang. Writing is one of her very few skills.