Vietnam-born Horsham resident Alan Loi has always been a deep thinker – he was writing his own computer programs when dial-up internet was the norm.

He built an online community of thousands of people in the mid-1990s, all like-minded programmers, and had his own web design and search optimisation business.

However, in 2010, all that changed.

Mr Loi acquired a brain injury as a result of a road accident in Melbourne, which affected his memory and cognitive ability.

“They cut into my skull,” he said.

“I’m very lucky, because the frontal lobe was bruised.”

The brain’s frontal lobe is responsible for problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking and regulating emotions.

Mr Loi lost his business as he was no longer able to maintain the cognitive level required.

He moved from Melbourne to Horsham about a year ago, where the night skies are clear and full of constellations – fortuitously complementing his newfound skill of drawing interstellar topographical maps.

He takes photos of the moon, sun, and stars before drawing them in a similar style to topographical maps. 

“I just draw in and around, and do the top, of graphical stratospheric maps I suppose – I don’t know what it actually is,” he said.

Mr Loi has a blog – gazalis.xyz/alan-loi – and a YouTube channel, and is in the process of finalising an application to show his work at Horsham Town Hall gallery. 

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