With sixty per cent of the
earth's population living in Asia, it's no wonder that there is an ever-growing
global appetite for Asian art, especially since the creative habitants within
have developed idiosyncrasies in their artistic languages that would soon set
them up as contemporary canons. In an assurance to the world that the Easter
creative output will only increase by the decade, here are 10 Asian artists who
exhibit the propensity for carrying their own weight against the rest of the
world.
Regarded one of the most uncompromising and
hard-hitting artists of his generation, Shafiq Nordin is anything but vanilla.
Leaving the depictions of victims and casualties of geopolitical games to his
less imaginative counterparts, this Malaysian artist takes no prisoners when
illustrating certain nefarious forces and their evil capitalist agendas as the
skinless muscle-bound beasts they are. Drawing specific attention to the
monstrous nature of humanity's imperialist ambitions and insatiable greed, Shafiq Nordin
is revered for his strong imagery, unique style, coarse outlines, and
well-composed satire. The subject matter of his works, depending on the messages that he
intends on, mainly focus on surreal interflowing animals. Earlier on in his
career, there were many artists who worked with human figures. To set himself
apart, Shafiq uses these animals became his main subjects. In this way, his
messages will not be too direct to the viewers. Each animal has its own
character that can be analogical to the human condition too.
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered in", and Japanese artist, Takashi Hara aims to be that nail which puts a dent in the hammer. When we catch glimpses of Takashi Hara's masterpieces, we think absolutely nothing about traditional Japanese Calligraphy, or Shodo, which loosely translates to "the way of writing". Yet, it is just that age-old art form that the 37-year-old Japanese artist's works invoke in both essence and execution that encapsulate the style's energy, brush strokes, a fusion of intentional and accidental texture, and most importantly, texts.
After
making the decision to break out of his mold in art making, colors are what
separate Takashi's style from Shodo, the present from the past. Some of his
works are presented with colors and brush strokes as the subjects in
themselves rather than figurative forms. Takashi adores the vibrant energy colors can evoke within his pieces. Also, his stints in multiple countries had
him elucidated to the fact that remaining within the premise of a single art
style will not get the artist very far in his career, so he began exploring
with other means and mediums, such as to abandon the paintbrush and smear
pigments from his fingers, to keep his art forms eclectic and relevant to the
ever-shifting landscapes of society today. Malleable and wavering, the French
would call his art style "Punk and Zen Art".
Capturing his every subject in their most
pure and vulnerable form, South Korean artist Koh Sang Woo uses
negative films to integrate photography, performance, and painting in an effort to present the audience with
the opportunity to see the world in reverse and reconsider the way in which we
look at others and understand ourselves. Most of his works start as a
performance. Layering pieces, colors, movements, and finally cementing the
essence as a still shot. As an artist, Koh believes in defending and standing
for what he believes in. After all, we would not have great artists in any
field if they did not fight to be heard while pressing on to continue evolving
in society. Whenever he feels the need to voice his thoughts and opinions, he
creates a portrait where he can find solace in the safety of his mind.
Ultimately, Koh works are the manifestations of his inner being who yearns to
be set free and immortalized on the canvas as the negative of a film still.
Steve Lawler, better known
as Mojoko, was born in Iran, raised in Hong Kong, and educated in Europe.
Catapulting through the industry as an artist, designer, and creative director,
Mojoko established the Kult Magazine,
Gallery and Studio and rapidly built a reputation for his diversified
career in curation, installation, interactive design, and fine art. Strongly
inspired by B-movies, trash TV, and alternative culture, Mojoko found the
alternative and unorthodox more exciting and unusual. His art all contains an
element of collage. Opposites attract, and he often forces a connection between
two separate entities to interplay and intertwine with each other, resulting in
compositions that are shocking yet compelling for his audiences who would, more
often than not, quickly recognize the whimsical elements from the mid-1900s.
Growing up with his
grandparents in the forested environment of Sabah, Malaysia, Chok's childhood
space of lush greenery and picturesque sceneries are memories of a paradise
lost, and in these memories is the nostalgia the is comprised within his
singular theme of past, present, and future. The forest is the paradise in
which Chok is most attuned to navigating through, unlike the city where he
resides in now. Following the deteriorating family ties after the passing of
his grandmother, Chok paints and carves to emphasize the connection
between memories and unfamiliarity whilst using botanicals and floras as the
perfect analogy.
"Art for me is just like a
sport. It's a playful thing." Darel's exuberant take on art has him constantly
seeking out new styles and technique to push his skills to greater heights. Fun
has always been the overarching theme in all his works, and surrealism proved
to be the perfect match to bringing out his ideas on the canvases. Vivid and
whimsical, his subjects are narratives in and of themselves that prompt his
viewers to uncover and discover what lie beneath the collage-like composition.
Heavily influenced by the
creative atmosphere provided by his mother who worked with colorful textiles
and his father who owned an outdoor advertising agency, Kos Cos had his
artistic eye all set for him to take on the world of advertising. Where he
works at, Hong Kong was a major Art Hub of the East and also an inspiration
launch pad for the young artist as he grew his fondness for portrait paintings.
He explains that faces bear the identity of the people who wear them -
emotions, moods, character information - they display a great deal of
information about people. Initially starting out with charcoal, he later turned
to oil and covered the charcoal marks with paint. His
"Shape of a Thought" series best showcase his masterful command over the
medium. As summarized by him, "It's an idea based on a story of a thought." Kos
Cos' experimental potential also has him combining several mediums to create
lively works that frame different portions of his compositions into focus.
Changes in his techniques will, more often than not, be reliant on the mediums
he employs.
Zahkung Hkawng Gyung, or
Ko Z, belongs to the Kachin ethnic minority who lives in the northernmost State
of Myanmar. His respect for nature is a heritage from his ancestors and hails
from his childhood and ethnic origins. As such, natural materials are often
employed in his installation works and performance pieces to bring greater
awareness to environmental issues. Flat colors with fractal backgrounds are
characteristic of his painting style. Ko Z attains liberation in his technique
by challenging himself to paint directly on the canvas without prior sketches,
and this results in organic pieces which are uniquely reminiscent of the artist
himself.
Tunku Khalsom is revered
for her work which exudes fluidity and stunning color, whilst embracing the
concepts of 'Life, Love, and Change'. She incorporates bright and bold colors which evoke different emotions, whilst having the power to alter mood and thought.
Butterflies, which are a recurring feature in her works, are immediately
symbolic of change and metamorphosis, yet they hide an even more macabre side
to their grace and beauty. Tunku revels in this unexpected dissonance and
adopts its grit into her already chaotic layout of colors bleeding into one
another. For her, obsession with colors meant that the brighter and the more colorful, the better, yet she has still managed to balance that out with the
darker side of things, therefore creating sophisticated pieces which are
vibrant yet haunting for viewers who care for a slice of gloom within the
sunshine.
Flat colors and bold
outlines - elements of a comic strip design have been adapted by South Korean
artist Yoon Giwon and presented upon the canvas. Easily palatable by anyone who
enjoys deep and vivid hues, Yoon's paintings are centered around the idea of relationships.
In an effort to bring forth his idea of communication, he paints pop art
portraits of people in direct, confrontational gaze with the viewers, as if
ready to strike up a conversation at any moment the gazes meet, recreating a
history that is etched in the birth of every new relationship created.
By
now, it is apparent that the East has shifted its artistic weight into the
spotlight of global recognition, and any astute collector would have a
selection dedicated to the promising showcase of the Asian talent stage that
constantly bursts through new grounds.
Ryan Mario, 2021
(www.luxuo.com)