Meet Jolie Tay: The Singapore artist who shakes up her looks like an Etch-A-Sketch

Multidisciplinary artist Jolie Tay (@peppapork), 24, discovered her passion for makeup artistry at just 10 years old. “I treated my face like an Etch-A-Sketch, drawing on it, wiping it off, and starting over. I’ve always loved the temporary nature of makeup and the power to change my appearance at will,” she shares. These days, Jolie, who runs a second Instagram account (@squggie) dedicated to her illustrations and crochet creations expresses that same spirit of play and transformation through experimental looks. “Sometimes it’s as simple as drawing stars around my eyes or extending my winged liner to my temples, small changes that give me the boost of confidence I need to face the day.”

“Fearlessness doesn’t mean not being afraid. I think anxiety has become a normal part of being human, especially while existing on the Internet and having people observe you from behind a screen. If anything, it’s about pushing through the fear of how I’m being perceived, creating purely for myself, and doing what makes me happy.

Around the age of 14, I became deeply enamoured by drag as an art form, and it became a core influence on how I paint my face. Most of the makeup looks I created never actually left the safety of my bedroom, where I could take pictures and wipe it off afterwards. On the odd occasion that I went out with dramatic makeup, I’d often be openly stared at by strangers. It used to bother me until I realised that none of these people knew me, and as long as I felt good about how I looked, nobody’s opinion mattered.

As an artist, the fear of my work being misinterpreted is always present. A lot of art is inherently political, and people will always have something negative to say, especially if it’s something unfamiliar to them. My work rejects fear by embracing what is unique and beautiful to me, and people will ultimately be drawn to the bold and unapologetic nature of what I do. Art should make people uncomfortable, and it should spark conversation.”

Credits:

Photography: Angela Guo

Art direction and digital imaging: Adeline Eng

Hair: Grego Oh, using Revlon Professional Singapore