2 August 2024
Nanyang academy of fine arts
Nanyang academy of fine arts
Options: Congratulations on your latest solo exhibition, Changing Identity. It has been exactly two years since you last showed. Tell us what inspired this collection.
Choy Chun Wei: This new work is a continuation of the Encountering Mass Man series, which began in 2021. Human communication has been greatly influenced and transformed by technological intervention. This condition appeared to be progressive, with some tension and effects on our behaviour.
What do you want people to feel when they view the pieces?
The current expression of the totemic human form reflects people’s current sense of self. The structure and form convey primal and simplistic impressions while also providing a critical analysis of the current state of insecurity and fear. I don’t want to impose my feelings on the viewer, but the form presented gives the impression of undercurrent objectivity.
How many pieces were created in total and which piece did you feel posed the greatest creative challenge?
I have a total of 19 pieces, which include objects and paintings. Overall, these works are in constant dialogue with one another. One idea feeds into the next. For example, figurative objects feed into the theme of human representation that runs across the surface of my large-scale patterned paintings. The painted markings will then emerge from the painting’s surface, giving the sculptural object a painterly appearance. As a result, there is no neat delineation, something I began paying attention to because I value the studio process. This type of transferability is something I hope to explore further.
If I must pick one, then it has to be the relief piece, Parade of Remote Gazes. The balance between object-making (casting) and painting (shimmer) has good, satisfying effects within the generated form. I still want to push myself further on this scale. I am motivated by the opportunity.