KAIKAY HWANG
I have always had an innate need to express myself though art.- whether it is a painting or drawing or performing in group improv comedy, theater , or singing. The group improv comedy is a perfect medium for me as it works on the same principles that I use to create my visual art. To make create group improv comedy – you must plug into the collective unconscious of the group and audience and ‘be in the moment’. This is exactly how I process my visual work. The physical and spiritual process of making art is a basic need of mine. My work is intuitive using personal archetypes and symbols akin to abstract symbolism.
My goal as an artist is to remain authentic in my truth. and to channel that authenticity directly into my work. I rarely pre-work or sketch my work in advance. Instead I rely completely on my intuition. I immerse myself into the subconscious; surrenderIng to that clear strong gut feeling. This where I enter the non-verbal creative flow zone.and begin to work.
Working straight from my gut gives freshness to the final work. It renews trust that the work is coming from an authentic ‘truthful’ place unfettered by influences of judgment,monetary value or even words.. All my work begins with this process creating the non-objective foundation of each piece. I absorb the lines, shapes and movement of my subconscious splatters and movements and Images come forth. I then paint what I see.I usually work on 3 or 4 pieces at one time. I use acrylic paints, pastel, watercolor and manipulated digital photographs.
My work falls within the genre of “Sui Generis” ( Latin : “Of its own kind, class by itself”.) I feel closely aligned to the philosophies of the Abstract Symbolists and of the Stieglitz Circle.
Another major influence is Carl Jung. His concepts of the collective unconscious, primordial archetypes, and the process of individuation – are the universal constructs of my work.
The major themes in my work are identity transformation and the journey through the life cycle. Specific ideas of immigration , Chinese/American identity and the tests in life that women live through are most prominent. My archetypes and symbols embody emotions during times of transition – metaphorically or literally. Most recently symbols for the spirit of China, icons of ancient Chinese gods and my Chinese/American identity have emerged. I have been working most recently regarding Great Fire of Changsha of 1938 in which 90% of the city was destroyed and 30,000 people died overnight. This is my parents home town in Hunan province.
Over the years my work has been shown in group and solo shows from California to New York . I have received recognition through purchase awards, stipends and honorable mentions and am in many private collections.
Exhibition and show resume are available upon request.
