Inner Landscapes: Margaret Lam’s Exploration of Stillness and Consciousness
- WODACC
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
At the Future Art & Design Award UK 2025 Winter Season, Margaret Lam was awarded the Gold Prize in Digital Painting for her work THE ART OF AWARENESS: Meditative Trilogy.
Described by the jury as “a contemplative digital art trilogy that unfolds with a calm, meditative undertone and a strong sense of inner continuity,” the work responds to the psychological conditions of contemporary life. Through three interconnected chapters—Possibilities, Flow, and Creation—the series constructs a quiet yet powerful visual narrative, offering viewers a reflective space to reconnect with their inner world.
Intro
"Living in a fast-paced world of our time, change refuses to slow down. We almost feel like we are losing a solid ground to stand on. The world is forcing us to go deeper inside us to seek answers to all the whys. While tons of enquiries remain unresolved, all our internal conversations tend to create even more turmoils. I honestly feel that people are fed up with the sufferings and we already have enough for negativities. By coming up with “THE ART OF AWARENESS : Meditative Triology”, I intend to start my new conversation with the world, responding to our collective need on a subconscious level in the now.
Digital Paintings to Express the Indescribable Our Hearts' Yearning for Constancy
This series of Digital Paintings represent a “Meditative Triology - Possibilities, Flow, Creation” - during the creation process, these compelling visual imageries came through me one after another, just like some secret messages awaiting me to decipher - regarding a discovery of new pathway in life. Altogether, it serves as “a visual retreat sequence" for our mind and hearts. This is an artistic way to invite ourselves to tap into the vast psychological space and the constancy within us that we have no time to explore before. As if it is “an inner gateway” into a refreshing future, allowing me to encounter a sea of possibilities, go with the flow, participate in new creations. I become motivated to share the experience of opening up to the dimension of stillness and wellness, what truly matters to us.
To my surprise, this art piece has gone through a long-time incubation period without me noticing, because to meet and greet my deepest self is not a linear journey. And this artwork just manifests itself to be a channel of expression that signifies my own transformation. I am more of a cross-disciplinary creative that has been transforming over time - from fine arts to advertising, branding, to digital media and exhibition experience design. What keeps me going is my urge to create. Although my love for abstract painting is always there inside me, my internal drive to draw has been put in sleep mode for years. The world’s rapid changes have led me to come back to my inner world, develop self-awareness, from where I reignite my passion again. Instead of using traditional mediums, I now dive into digital painting which is a natural move to me for further discoveries. The art of awareness is making sense beyond myself, and I believe it is a universal quest to reflect on the purpose of art in our life, for the future of our humanity and the path to wellbeing."
Interview
Q: What initially inspired this project? Was there a particular idea, moment, or question that sparked its creation?
Margaret:
My vision is to bring the art of awareness to the world in a mindful, relaxing way that elevates our well-being. And in times of creative exploration, I created a series of digital paintings to express the indescribable sensation within us, which is our hearts' yearning for constancy in a rapidly changing world.
Living in a fast-paced world of our time, change refuses to slow down. We almost feel like we are losing solid ground to stand on. It feels like we want to go deeper inside ourselves to seek answers to all the whys. While many enquiries remain unresolved, our internal conversations only create more turmoil. By coming up with “THE ART OF AWARENESS: Meditative Triology”, I intend to start a new conversation with the world, responding to our need in the now. And if we pay attention, we can be aware of subtle messages emerging from our hearts, awaiting us to get in touch with them.
This series of Digital Paintings represents a “Meditative Triology - Possibilities, Flow, Creation”. During the creation process, these compelling visual images came through me one after another, just like secret messages awaiting decipherment - regarding the discovery of a new pathway in life. Altogether, it serves as “a visual retreat sequence" for our minds and hearts. This is an artistic way to invite ourselves to tap into the vast psychological space and the constancy within us that we have no time to explore before. As if it is “an inner gateway” into a refreshing future, allowing me to encounter a sea of possibilities, go with the flow, and participate in new creations. I become motivated to share the experience of opening up to the dimension of stillness and wellness, which truly matters to us.
I want my art to elevate our living spaces and serve as a mindful experience that enhances people’s lives from within - both physically and emotionally - as it provides the audience with a calm space to have a quality, peaceful time with themselves. The overall blue colour tone signifies timelessness, infinity, and vastness - evoking a sense of calmness. It intends to create a quiet, meditative space for inspiration. This can be a very uplifting experience that contributes to the future of our holistic wellness ongoingly.
Q: What was the most exciting or most challenging aspect of bringing this work to life?
Margaret:
To my surprise, this art piece has gone through a long-time incubation period without me noticing, because to meet and greet my deepest self is not a linear journey. And this artwork just manifests itself as a channel of expression that signifies my own transformation. I am more of a cross-disciplinary creative that has been transforming over time - from fine arts to advertising, branding, to digital media and exhibition experience design. What keeps me going is my urge to create. Although my love for abstract painting is always there inside me, my internal drive to draw has been put in sleep mode for years. The world’s rapid changes have led me to come back to my inner world, develop self-awareness, and reignite my passion. Instead of using traditional media, I now dive into digital painting, which is a natural move for me to make for further discoveries. The art of awareness is making sense beyond myself, and I believe it is a universal quest to reflect on the purpose of art in our lives, for the future of our humanity and the path to well-being.
Q: How was your experience taking part in the Future Art & Design Award UK?
Margaret:
To me, it had been a wonderful synchronicity that when I just finished the artwork, the open call news of the Future Art & Design Award came across me just in time. FADA is a remarkable platform that includes talents across the globe to showcase their work to the world. The process of participation and the award-winning experience are seamless. The categories for submission really capture our contemporary spirits and creative minds. I thought that it sang to me, and I just felt right to participate. From the reviews of the judges, I can also see that they really put their hearts into encountering the artworks. Also, I want to show my gratitude to the organisers who have uplifted all the creative participants in a meaningful way. I am so grateful to be the recipient of the FADA Gold Prize in Digital Painting, and this is truly a significant acknowledgement of my creation in the present.
Editor’s Note
In THE ART OF AWARENESS: Meditative Trilogy, Margaret Lam creates more than a visual experience—she constructs a space for introspection.
Through subtle abstraction and immersive color fields, the work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with a deeper sense of stillness. In a time defined by acceleration and uncertainty, the trilogy offers something increasingly rare: a quiet, sustained dialogue with the self.
About the Artist
Margaret Lam is an established multi-disciplinary creative professional working in the industry, with her expertise spreading across worldwide branding campaigns, digital media design, exhibition concept design, and art curating as well. After furthering her studies in MA Curating Contemporary Design (Kingston University - in partnership with the Design Museum in London - graduating with distinctions), she has been working as a Creative Director and Design Consultant to strategise and curate design projects. Combining her fine art background and multi-faceted experience in serving global clients, she continuously expands her work in the intersection of contemporary brand experience and experiential design. It is her honour to have received the “KGDA Kyoto Global Design Awards 2023 (Japan) in Design Theory” as a worldwide recognition. She is also privileged to be the recipient of the "FADA Future Art & Design Award UK 2025 - in Digital Painting - GOLD PRIZE”. And in the face of rapid changes in the now, she wants to further share her reflection and observation of the world through digital paintings that go beyond words.
Connect with the Artist - Website
