Her love and support gave me the courage.

I met my then-girlfriend (now wife) Elizabeth Lazan in New York when I was working in the Fashion Industry. She's a Singapore actress who had recently moved and we often collaborated on photo shoots and talked about art, music and life. It was an exciting time in my work when I met her – with the industry giving me the opportunity to design jewelry for major fashion designers Kenneth Cole, Banana Republic & Urban Outfitters. Yet, I was not satisfied and wanted to pursue my own artwork. Liz encouraged me to create the many ideas I had in glass. She was my muse and I created a series of glass couture pieces to fit her – “immortalizing” her during a time when we first met. I was then invited to exhibit in Europe, which led to a prestigious residency in Venice, Italy to work with the glass maestros. Her love and support gave me the courage to follow my dreams. Eventually, I shed the safety net of a 9 to 5 job in order to pursue my art career full time. We have since traveled the world together in support of each other's creative endeavors. We're often apart with our schedules, with her working between Singapore and the US. Time differences and distance can be all frustrating as part of it. But our rule is to be the most supportive person for each other; reminding one another why we love what we do, and to be each other's pillar of strength, support and smiles.