To Leave: Deus ex Machina. 2022
A figure that is based on the dichotomic idea of balancing gnostic ideals and contemporary state of hyperrealism.
A figure that is based on the dichotomic idea of balancing gnostic ideals and contemporary state of hyperrealism.
To Leave: Ad Astra Per Aspera I and II. 2019
I had the opportunity to be doing my first lithography residency with Pulp Editions www.pulpeditions.com/, headed by printmaking artist, Shi Tong from May to June of 2018.
I had the opportunity to be doing my first lithography residency with Pulp Editions www.pulpeditions.com/, headed by printmaking artist, Shi Tong from May to June of 2018.
To Leave: In the Presence of a White Dwarf. 2019
Below was a short conversation I had with someone with regards to my printmaking works:
Ad Astra Per Aspera I and II, after the popular Latin phrase which means “To the stars through hardships”. However this title only came to my mind when I was done with both artworks and had the chance to take a breather and recall my entire process of working towards the end.
Looking at the two prints, I recognise that I have subconsciously composed and embedded symbols and metaphors of metaphysical subjects/conversations into four different drawings. The first attempt was loosely inspired by Plato’s Theory of Forms partnered with geometric shapes that seems to float towards an ‘ideal’ state of being, in the second piece of composition I placed a tiny mage-like figure holding a staff; suggesting an intention for an “inter-dimensional” travel through different “star gates” which was actually inspired by Richard Serra’s sculpture in Qatar, East-West/West-East.
In the third composition I had visions of people circumambulating a structure, much akin to the celestial bodies going around a star so life may exists and a closer reference would be a similar idea to how religious rituals adopt circumambulation as a symbol for univocity. An obelisk (the symbol of the Sun God, Ra) was used to represent a universal agreement.
For the last composition I decided to design and re-imagine an ancient observation tower (which could have been used to observe the Earth and its heavens) as a conclusion for the series of drawings that I have created. The drawing is accompanied by abstruse symbols whose true meanings are not known, not even me. Haha I guess the last drawing does encapsulate the title of the prints and covers all of my subconscious intentions; it is a cycle of thought, through the hardships of living and creating meaning for our purpose, we ponder about what is beyond us, towards the stars and in return we build hope from our hearts and back put them back into our hardships and in the end, to the stars for the last time.
The entire residency process felt real fresh, orientating myself back into a new form of craft is always interesting and definitely exciting; plus it was my first time dealing with printmaking. I always feel evermore appreciative of this whole human-activity we call Art when I learn something new from it. The entire process has humbled me and made me respect the medium/craft as an external form
(a means of expression) and my ability/potential to fuse them together along with building a healthy relationship with another being, Shi Tong haha.
I guess one of the biggest challenges was to think in layers while working towards your end product. As I am trained as a painter, who’s working methods are very direct and change could be made and seen in a short time, working with printmaking has made me realised that I have to take a step back and look at my artwork in layers/separation or several dimensions with various possibilities.
Ad Astra Per Aspera I and II, after the popular Latin phrase which means “To the stars through hardships”. However this title only came to my mind when I was done with both artworks and had the chance to take a breather and recall my entire process of working towards the end.
Looking at the two prints, I recognise that I have subconsciously composed and embedded symbols and metaphors of metaphysical subjects/conversations into four different drawings. The first attempt was loosely inspired by Plato’s Theory of Forms partnered with geometric shapes that seems to float towards an ‘ideal’ state of being, in the second piece of composition I placed a tiny mage-like figure holding a staff; suggesting an intention for an “inter-dimensional” travel through different “star gates” which was actually inspired by Richard Serra’s sculpture in Qatar, East-West/West-East.
In the third composition I had visions of people circumambulating a structure, much akin to the celestial bodies going around a star so life may exists and a closer reference would be a similar idea to how religious rituals adopt circumambulation as a symbol for univocity. An obelisk (the symbol of the Sun God, Ra) was used to represent a universal agreement.
For the last composition I decided to design and re-imagine an ancient observation tower (which could have been used to observe the Earth and its heavens) as a conclusion for the series of drawings that I have created. The drawing is accompanied by abstruse symbols whose true meanings are not known, not even me. Haha I guess the last drawing does encapsulate the title of the prints and covers all of my subconscious intentions; it is a cycle of thought, through the hardships of living and creating meaning for our purpose, we ponder about what is beyond us, towards the stars and in return we build hope from our hearts and back put them back into our hardships and in the end, to the stars for the last time.
The entire residency process felt real fresh, orientating myself back into a new form of craft is always interesting and definitely exciting; plus it was my first time dealing with printmaking. I always feel evermore appreciative of this whole human-activity we call Art when I learn something new from it. The entire process has humbled me and made me respect the medium/craft as an external form
(a means of expression) and my ability/potential to fuse them together along with building a healthy relationship with another being, Shi Tong haha.
I guess one of the biggest challenges was to think in layers while working towards your end product. As I am trained as a painter, who’s working methods are very direct and change could be made and seen in a short time, working with printmaking has made me realised that I have to take a step back and look at my artwork in layers/separation or several dimensions with various possibilities.