Originally published on September, 2019 on Project 40 Collective’s Blog.
Tell us briefly about your creative practice. When did visual art become a way of expression for you?
The “intangible” is an easy way to loosely tie the ideas i’m into exploring in my curatorial and studio practice together. It can be defined as “unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence” and in the context of me, it applies to so much:
- Myths, folklore, world-building, legends
- Phenomena (natural, supernatural, human? e.g., “deja vu”)
- Collective experiences: love, fear, other emotions/sensations
- Ancestry, lineage, history
- Magic, pseudoscience, divination
I significantly underperformed throughout my earlier years of education before university, which left me feeling rather directionless after secondary school. I enrolled at OCAD U on a whim, as I hadn’t shown any proficiency in other academic areas. Yet, during my time there, I came to realize that I possessed more potential than I had believed and started recognizing the importance of embracing my interests and life experiences by cultivating a creative practice.
Visual art in general became a meaningful way to engage with things that were relevant and immediate to me, though seeing, facilitating and making beautiful things.
From tarot symbols to astrological signs, much of your work alludes to divination, mysticism, and the extraordinary. These themes are explored through a diverse range of materials, including clay, charcoal, and found objects. What factors inspire the subjects you choose to create art about and guide your selection of materials to work with?
Regarding the materials I’ve used thus far, I enjoy blending clay or stone with found materials in my sculptures because they inhabit two distinct points on a spectrum. The act of sculpting empowers me to craft objects that emerge from the ether (the intangible), while assembling found objects is a grounded process that involves seeking suitable items as they naturally exist in real life.
However, in a broader sense, I’m inclined to use whatever materials or processes are suitable for realizing a particular concept. Given the wide range of themes I delve into, the visual vocabulary and methods required for creating my work can sometimes lack consistency. Crafting submissions and applications can pose a challenge since the supporting materials don’t always align seamlessly with the work I’m proposing. While clay and found objects have their merits, they aren’t as effective when I’m suggesting video projects (a realm I’m keen on exploring!).
A significant portion of your work, like Shapeshifter, Paralysis, The Pursuit of Vengeance (2017), revolves around the arrangement of objects — shapes, forms, materials —within a space. What significance does installation hold in your artistic practice?
For selection committees, the “why” factor holds immense importance when it comes to choosing successful applicants for artistic opportunities. Why have you chosen to submit this particular project to this specific space? The concept of site specificity in projects enables the work to engage in a meaningful discourse with the platform where it will be showcased. Establishing this dialogue tends to yield more captivating, innovative, and intriguing projects. It ultimately strengthens the argument for why your application deserves selection.
My curatorial practice aligns with my continuous fascination for immersive installation—a natural way of contemplating how objects coexist within a space. I’m eager to explore how I can push this further within my studio practice. Although I’ve only been able to experiment with it to a certain extent, I often daydream about having the space, time and opportunity to do some really ambitious and fun!
After attending your recently curated exhibition, The Bald Eagle’s Claw at Xpace, and learning about your upcoming role as one of the co-curators for InterAccess Current program, I’ve developed a keen interest in your curatorial approach, particularly in how it relates to your own artistic endeavors. How do these two facets intersect? How would you describe and define your curatorial practice?
Thank you for coming :^) It was so nice to see you there!
Curating was something that I paid no attention to until my misinformed understandings of it led me to believe that going into that field was less precarious than being a practicing artist (which is definitely not true), which is what I had been doing prior.
The role of the curator isn’t any less secure than the role of the artist, and lately I’ve begun to question what really separates the two: These days it’s been helpful to think of curating as a medium to execute ideas rather than a role, just like sculpture, drawing and paint etc. Only curating is a much more relational and collaborative process!
Organizing Bald Eagle was great because there was a meaningful exchange between myself and the artists throughout the process of the show’s development. The idea for the show allowed for the participants to respond through the lens of what they explore in their individual studio practices, and their responses helped the show grow, narrowing the scope of what the exhibition was exploring. Though the general theme was of my own inception, we left the experience with an exhibition that felt like it was ours , which I’m very grateful for.
What memorable responses have you received about your work, and have they changed the way you think about making art?
I recognize that my approach to curating and making art is intuitive and very personal, and some common feedback I receive is that the projects could benefit from more of a research focused approach, to which I agree. Research can only further help me expand on my ideas and broaden the scope of the conversations I’m having, so why not? That response is something that has me thinking differently about what I’m currently doing in my creative practices.
What are some questions or themes you have been pondering lately?
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about a series of tags that i’ve been seeing around the city for years now. They always begin with Oh, Mei and finish with phrases like put your arms around me , please come home or let’s get married , as if the writer is pleading and trying to get through to someone. It’s heartbreaking but also romantic, and seeing these phrases in public spaces, for me, speaks to the quiet, intimate moments that can get lost in such a busy city like Toronto. I’ve recently discovered that the tag references Slide by The Goo Goo Dolls, but for me the magic remains. It makes me think about how grand acts of longing and love can be artistic gestures, and i’m curious to see how that can be further explored in art context.
What’s coming up next in your creative career?
I’m looking to focus on my studio practice again! Coordinating programs for Xpace Cultural Centre and other curatorial projects accesses a different sector or my creative headspace in a way that I love, but it’s been a while since I’ve been able to make work as an artist. That being said I’m looking to make work leisurely without the time sensitivity and stress that comes with professional commitments, which is tricky because Toronto as a city has this busy, over productive nature that encourages non-stop work!
But more immediately is the exhibition that Sophia Oppel and I are co-curating as a part of Interaccess’ IA Current program! Opening early November 2019 ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Lastly, what does being a part of the Canadian art scene mean to you?
Though artists in this expensive, dense and overwhelming city operate within a scarcity mentality and a fear of being forgotten, being a part of this community means recognizing the precarity in everyone’s efforts as creators and cultural workers and finding solidarity in that common struggle. Choose community over competition, share space, hospitality and knowledge, and support each other in our professional and personal endeavours!
To learn more about Richard Fung’s work, visit his website.
To learn more about Philip’s work, visit his website.
Lee Mirae 