Picture This' first solo exhibition will feature 25 new Marcopoto pieces, some of which are multiple canvases. The child of Chinese and Filipino-Portuguese parents, Marcopoto grew up in Kuala Lumpur and worked for nine years in journalism and public relations in Hong Kong before she turned to art.

'I focus on the human figure,' Marcopoto says. 'What could be more fascinating? The whole range of complexities - from emotional to cultural - are there to explore and interpret.'

Her Cymbals conjures a religious mood. 'It's based on a photo I took in Bali five years ago at a ceremony where there were over 100 musicians playing,' she says. 'It's an allegory of angels.'

Then there are paintings depicting Chinese workers that Marcopoto describes as 'my tongue-in-cheek take on how these milling masses with frail bamboo baskets and scaffolding are the backbone of modernisation in that country ... At the same time, I wanted to portray the inherent decency and simple goodness of these workers.'

Marcopoto says her grandparents had something in common with her subjects. 'Their families, who immigrated to Malaysia, were literally peasants, and they are the warmest and most generous people I know,' she says. Family seems to influence Marcopoto's work - though she's found time to paint seriously only in the past four years. Her father, Francis Cabatit, was a painter, and her children are often the subject of her art. Marcopoto says she was also invigorated by the curiosity and energy of the children to whom she taught art, a few years ago, at the American Club.

Marcopoto's paintings feature colour and light. 'In most pieces, colours are Asian with glowing yellows and ambers, or earthy ochres, burnt siennas and deep reds,' she says. 'The beach series, though, was inspired by David Hockney's pastel palette in his California phase and contains saturated light and more unusual blues.' Marcopoto says some of the Chinese peasant pieces are inspired by another master of light: Caravaggio. 'His biblical works highlight the drama of a simple human figure with the play of light flesh tones transposed against intense dark umbers,' she says. 'The glow of bamboo and teak actually inspired the Chinese worker pieces Westward Ho and Onward Ho.'

Marcopoto says her work is evolving. 'I'm creating a unique language for my own vision, constantly honing my skill with the brush and my use of colour and composition,' she says. 'My pieces use a mix of thickly applied paint, thin dribbles and traditional under-painting in several tones to create a background with texture and depth. For the main figure, I use a technique of strong under-painting and then layer on thin washes with transparent yellow or orange - the tiniest mistake shows. There are at least five layers of paint and often eight. Then I sometimes add glazes for more depth. It's great fun to balance different techniques within one painting while keeping the work tight and cohesive.'

Marcopoto has never been part of either the Hong Kong or Malaysian art scenes. 'Malaysian art, as I knew it, was traditional copper and batik work,' she says. 'I still don't know much about the contemporary scene there now. It's not very developed, compared with places like Vietnam. Malaysian artists from the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities don't generate much cohesiveness.'

Timeless Light - People and Nature, Wed-Sept 24, Picture This, Suite 603B, 6/F Office Tower, 9 Queen's Rd, Central. Inquiries: 2525 2820