Instead, the concept of ‘hybridity’ is what has long fascinated Phong, 20, a fine arts diploma graduate from the Malaysian Institute of Art.
Hybridity involves the merging of different mediums to produce new and unique works that convey deep meanings. No one interpretation is considered right or wrong, and depends solely on the individual viewing the artwork.
Speaking to FMT about his current exhibition, Phong said: “Artists are world builders. And for me, my aim is to blur the lines between two worlds to create my own third world in my own art portraits.
Hence the title of his exhibition ‘LIVINGBRIBE’, a single word created by merging two random words of completely different meanings. Phong said it was his hope that this third word would evoke a certain feeling in a viewer.
True to this theme, the titles of all his artworks reflect the concept of hybridity whether in reference to the materials used in creating the work to the random words picked and merged to name each piece.
‘SATISFACTIONDISTRICT’ for instance is a merging of techniques – sketches in graphite pencil finished with thread and a polaroid photograph to create a ‘third world’.
“I merged the hands and picture together using thread to create a 3D effect. And of course, the entire artwork may have a different interpretation to each viewer.
“The concept of hybridity can be seen here by the thread and hand sketch to create meanings. It can be absolutely anything to how a viewer feels about the art,” he said.
In “AUTO-REVERSESYMBOLS”, Phong merged two hand-sketched artworks – one of a man’s torso and the other of a garment – by sewing both together with strands of thread.
Phong added that the sketches were not intentional but rather symbols to evoke a response from a viewer, and to trigger conversations about the possible meanings behind the visuals.
He said his use of thread and pencil sketches were to more clearly convey the extreme contrasts between the two mediums.
“Like, the hands took me a shorter time to draw since I used graphite pencils. But stringing the artwork to the polaroid takes time. And I wanted to blend in the two concepts of time in one piece.
“I also like to see how these contradictions react with one another and how it makes the viewer feel or make meaning out of it,” he explained.
The inspiration behind his artwork was also derived from science, he said, as he has always been curious about how things work in the world. And while the worlds of art and science don’t necessarily mix, he said he wanted to incorporate scientific concepts into his artwork.
Commenting on ‘CHEAPDIMENSIONS’, he said: “This painting was pretty straightforward when I had it in mind. I wanted to simply experiment with light. Light travels in a straight line. But when it shines on bodies, it carves,” he added, pointing to the darker and brighter areas in his artwork.
‘Like to give a good intellectual challenge to my viewers’
In ‘BIOLOGICAIDIALOGUE’, a sketch in shades of grey with tiny bright red hands supporting the base of the frame, lies an element of surprise if one looks closely enough.
“Look closer, and you’ll see that the window is actually an image of an inverted fridge with shapes of food stacked inside. I think the reason behind this is that I like to disorient my viewers.”
The fridge painting is an adaptation of an earlier graphite piece he created titled “EXPOSURESTRUCTURE”, with a lacquered epoxy putty frame, in which the fridge is in the upright position.
He added that as an artist, he often revisited his earlier works, taking inspiration from them to create his next piece, much like the chapters of a book, each expanding on its plot with twists and turns.
“I was sitting in the kitchen and decided to draw my kitchen fridge, because I really like interior design and objects. And if you see the entire portrait, it looks like someone is holding the frame – to bring about a 3D kind of effect,” he said.
‘LIVINGBRIBE’ will be held till March 4 at G13 gallery.
G13 Gallery
Kelana Square
GL13, Ground Floor Block B
Jalan SS 7/26
47301 Petaling Jaya
Selangor