Whitestone Gallery - Hong Kong May 2020

This show encapsulate motions, materials and mediums in anthropomorphised Mr Men inspired characters. I wanted to distill each idea into an essence of it’s title. Sometimes playing with words meanings to inform the processes other times simply playing within the parameters of a process.

Text and image is such a strong language in todays digital age in the form of memes media. Interestingly the etymology of meme comes from the fusion of the Greek verb mimeisthai, which means “to imitate” and gene. This is because in many ways memes self reference and multiply like a gene. Passing on information in a linear fashion like a gene would through family generations or laterally similar to how a virus spreads. A meme will spread in a viral fashion depending on selective pressures in the breeding pool of ideas. Determining factors of an ideas success range from it’s controversy and outrage to humour or intrigue. One might say the idea of a meme is alive and moving through our collective conscious.

In many ways the compositional layout of a Mr Men book cover illustration is reflective of the simplest of meme templates. Top text and image. But it also taps into a nostalgic reflection on a childhood, void of an overwhelming bombardment of digital media. By focusing in on a very felt and process approach to the artworks creations I’m presenting a counter mode of thought grounded in embodied presence. Much like how memes are alive I’m attempting to paint, press, spray and stamp life into the very processes I’m deploying. Perhaps pulling the viewer into the present to observe the contrasts of materials used across the anthropomorphised materials. I want to slow down the viewing process to counter act the immediacy of the online world that envelopes us.

Side note: It’s also a big bit of playful fun! I haven’t been doing too much pre planning with each painting and allowed my imagination to bounce off how each different medium moves over the canvas. Staying in touch with ones inner child is also an important aspect of the show.