Wowser Ng

Biography

"Fast," "hype," and "packaging," brings extravagant material consumption, as well as symbolic business culture, which makes the power of the individual irresist the tide swept. Therefore, it easily leads the public to succumb to quick and temporary popularity.

The essence of pop art is to deconstruct thoughts, which is a kind of ideology of deconstruct and remodel. It is anti-historical and anti-classical, and often takes social figures of the masses and it copies the original appearance of life as the basic elements of creation. But this empty “art” is over-interpreted, which makes the empty subject matter more superficial.

The existence of the pop culture further defines the connotation of the commodity as anti-art, which makes the commodity and commerce as a symbol of overturning high spirits attack traditional art.
My work works by appropriating fashion products, commodities. These sleek and gorgeous images depict generation Z, an era of rapid material economic development, and attempt to highlight the dangers of continuing to support materialism. When I put forward the issue of the relationship between commodities and people, the audience needs to reflect on the influence of the media in the generation Z on us and question the power of the fashion/product industry endorsement. My painting combines abstract and concrete, which is a challenge to Pop art. I develop the painting practice of combining abstract and Pop. With a visual narrative to reveal the pop culture under the influence of the current society.

What’s your background?

I was born into a scholarly family in China. My grandfather is a professor at a university, and my grandmother was originally a businessman. My grandfather had many friends who were painters and writers, and my grandmother had a great art collection. I was exposed to art at a very young age, but I didn't want to be an artist at that time. In middle school, my gender identity was confused, which was very stressful for me at the time. Queer people can be difficult to identify with in gendered Asian societies. As a result, it was hard for me to feel confident about the people around me and to express my own opinions. So, I became more and more solitary and didn't like to talk to the people around me. Later, because of the boarding school, my parents had no time to accompany me, but they would buy me many luxuries to meet my material needs. But I still feel lonely. I spend all my time with these luxuries every day, and I often spend my pocket money on fashion magazines. I have my own booklets, and I draw pictures of the products I like on my booklets, and I study the stories of these products. I grew up with this lonely, depressed routine. My parents did not want me to study art at first, and I often argued with them as I was very individuality and rebellious, but they gave in to me, and then I enrolled in an art academy. However, this did not make my art career smooth. At that time, I had a disagreement with my teacher about my understanding of art, and my works were not approved by the teacher. Therefore, I rebated and conceived the idea of becoming an artist. After graduation, I worked in the fashion and luxury industry. I designed fashion illustrations for many brands, but I was not satisfied with that. So, I chose to go to the University of the Arts London to study for my master's degree, and I began formal large-scale art creation. I put all these experiences into my work. In this way, many people think my works are special and fashionable, and I gradually become an artist. Maybe it was meant to be, and art chose me.

What does it mean to you to win the Collectors Art Prize?

This is an award given jointly by Contemporary Art Collectors and Contemporary Art Curators Magazine, and I know that both platforms are recognized by the art world for helping emerging artists. So, the award is a recognition of my work as a young artist. I will also continue to work hard and continue my art practice.

What do you think is the role of art in the world today?

Art does not change our life as directly as science. Its influence is imperceptible. It affects the way and Angle we see the world. Good art will reflect the characteristics of an era and continue to influence the next generation.

What would it be if you could change one thing about the art world?

It's a difficult question to answer. It's hard enough to become an artist, but it's even harder to change the art world. If possible, I hope to challenge the boundary between pop art and abstract art through my practice and challenge contemporary painting through the medium of digital painting. Give painting more possibilities, including visual strangeness and diversity of materials. Challenge the established art world in a new medium with a new language. This may be crazy and unrealistic, but Duchamp's fountain also deconstructed a concept of beauty and reshaped a new concept of beauty.

What are your most significant professional achievements?

I have high standards for myself, and I don't stop creating, and I don't settle for the moment. So, I don't think I've had the most significant professional achievements so far. When I was a student, I was awarded the 5th FIDA Finalist Professional Group, which was not easy to compete with many fashion illustrators and artists who have been painting for decades. In addition, I was guaranteed by the Arts Council England immediately after graduation, so it was not easy for me to get this endorsement.

What do you wish to tell viewers about your work that might not come out explicitly? What do you hope to inspire with your artwork?

I hope the audience can directly feel my personal experience through my works. These works are not illusory or grounded. They reflect the story of my life and are true. The hope is to let the audience feel a kind of materialized soul and a feeling of loneliness from this fashionable, delicate, and superficial appearance. Aside from this, my works mainly reveal the current Generation Z influenced by pop culture through a visual narrative. These expensive and luxurious luxuries are piled up in my images. I hope the audience can feel the danger brought by our continuous support for materialism, an era dominated by media and overflowing with pop culture. In addition, most of my works are women and various products. Sometimes the meaning of these products is endowed with the meaning of gender. These women gaze at the products with male characteristics in this lonely atmosphere to convey my cognition of gender.

What advice would you give to the upcoming generation of artists?

Art is a very serious thing. I don't think art is a fun game. Whenever I face the works of real artists, I am always awed. This is a more difficult path than other professions. You need to ask yourself what your purpose is before you become an artist. If it is to make a lot of money, then I think another career might be a better choice. Don't be eager to find your own style, in fact, everyone's growth experience and interests are different, find some of your own things, slowly show them on the painting, then you will slowly find your own style. Observe and pay more attention to your life. Your art should carry your perception and understanding of life. It is powerful, and the concept of being too detached from life may be cool and profound, but it may not move people. Finally, you need to keep your original intention and be wary of opportunistic things and people. For example, sometimes when the painting was out of fashion, someone ran to make installations, and now the rise of NFT and digital art has entered this field. It's scary because you never know what's going to be popular next. Maybe tomorrow NFT will be out of fashion.

In what direction would you like to see your career go in the next five years?

The next five years will be the most critical time in my career, and I will not stop researching my art practice. On the one hand, I have recently tried to get rid of some existing fashion products and started to design my own products. I've started a few sketches so far, and I'm trying to create a series of drawings of objects I've created myself. Further explore the relationship among art, fashion, and the market. Then I also wanted to make a more radical attempt at painting language, further integrating abstract, pop, conceptual art, and digital art. Apart from creation, I am also actively looking for exhibition opportunities in galleries. My current plan is to find a suitable gallery to hold my first solo exhibition, which plays a crucial role in an artist's career. In the next five years, I hope I can create more and better works that can be seen and understood by more people. I hope I can find a suitable physical gallery to represent my works and make progress together.

Country United Kingdom

Website https://www.wowserng.com/