WHEN life dealt Sivam Selvaratnam a series of blows to her health in 2003, it was art that helped lift her out of her state of misery. The 75-year-old artist, who has been painting on and off since the late 1950s, says that picking up the paintbrush again after suffering a series of debilitating illnesses was therapeutic for her.

"I was idling, not knowing what to do, all the time with pain and complaints about this and that," she says. "For many years, I was not able to cope with things. My daughter-in-law was a great motivator; she really coaxed me into doing work. She said if I started painting again, I would feel much better, and it worked. Today, I don't have time to think of anything other than to get myself moving with things."

One of those "things" was preparing for her solo exhibition, Rapt in Maya, at the University of Malaya Art Gallery, where an eclectic body of works spanning from the 1960s to today is on display: her nature studies, abstract renditions, textile designs and art inspired from raga. Though her figurative works are not included — she is keeping them for another dedicated show — the exhibition, nevertheless, showcases the wonderful breadth of Sivam's oeuvre.

Unlike at present, where she is able to paint unhindered in the studio her husband built for her in the basement of their beautiful home in Damansara Heights, Sivam's art practice over the years has been marked by interruptions. As a young girl, she wanted to study art in England but her conservative father would have none of it. Instead, she trained as an art teacher at a local college, and later joined the influential Wednesday Art Group (WAG) headed by Peter Harris, the then art superintendent. Exposure to live drawing sessions and regular art excursions helped develop Sivam's interest in figurative drawings and abstract forms.

Sivam finally had the opportunity to study art in 1965 when she and her husband moved to Manchester, where he pursued his doctorate while she enrolled at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University to study textile design and fine art. Nature primarily served as her inspiration, and many of her designs juxtaposed natural, organic forms with geometric shapes and were more often than not rendered in a riot of colours. Her final year showcase made such an impression on the Cotton Board UK that they offered her a six-month stint. However, she had to turn it down to move back to Malaysia.

"I gave up all that and came back. That's one part of the story of how I missed out on so many opportunities. It's difficult sometimes, as a woman who is hanging on to families and a husband, unless you are one of those go-getters who give up other things for art. I didn't do that," says Sivam thoughtfully.

Sivam had her first solo exhibition at British Council Malaysia in 1971. She went on to participate in various group exhibitions, while keeping her day job as a teacher at the Senior Methodist Girls' School. In 1979, she was transplanted to Singapore when her husband's job took him there. Sivam took up a teaching position at a secondary school, and was subsequently offered the opportunity to set up and head the art elective programme at the National Junior College. She describes the time as the "most fruitful years, as far as teaching was concerned, because the gifted, talented and intelligent students, the cream of the crop, were brought into this programme".

In 1984, Sivam obtained her master's degree in art and design education from the University of London. During this period of time, Sivam's art practice naturally took a backseat. It wasn't until they moved back to Malaysia in 1994 that she was able to get back to it. Sivam participated in a group exhibition in 1996 together with former WAG members, and one of her paintings was purchased by Bank Negara Malaysia.

That piece was from a body of work that centred on sound and movement in colour and form. Sivam is particularly inspired by the music of Ali Akbar Khan, and she would listen to his music and paint. She explains, "Whenever I listen to it, the gentle soothing musical chords evoke a mood. Sometimes I get impressions, and I would translate what I hear onto the canvas … I was also fascinated with the parallels between art and music.

There is so much of a link — music can elicit an emotional response [just as] good art can. In that way I think painting should aspire to be as abstract as music is." And that is why stylised and abstract forms define her art.

Now that Sivam is able to fully concentrate on her art, she is tackling it with as much vigour as she can muster, as if making up for lost time. Her art, at times bold and attention grabbing, at others subliminal and subdued, is reflective of an artist who delights in exploring the many different impressions that come to her mind, or what she calls maya or illusions — so it is that Sivam's art invites quiet contemplation.

This story appeared in The Edge on Aug 27, 2012.