I chose to name the exhibition “Revealed” because my current creative method comes from a more primitive self.
When I read in Buddhist scriptures that everyone has an “original face,” I realised that, indeed, as we face various situations in life, we often must become actor and play the role just to get by. And those roles may contain parts of our nature, but they are a world away from our true selves. Even as a creator, I am no exception; I frequently divide the works which are for myself and which will be shared with the public.
This does not mean that I keep the most delicate and beautiful paintings for myself but rather that I, like everyone, try to hide a true self that is ashamed to be public. Most people, and perhaps artists in particular, prefer not to expose the ugly, erotic, awkward, naive, technically inferior, or incomplete things that can be judged as unremarkable or deserving of scorn. I hide such things in the depths of my hidden places, like a child trying to conceal dirty photos from his/her parents. And yet, this sort of shame and fear of exposure seems to only limit my work and keep me from true inspiration.
“Notebook” is my another creative branch, in which I doodled very casually from among the gaps in my life. There are, for example, many exaggerated faces and close-ups of big muscular men which convey my immediate desire to have and express strength. In 2020, as my last creative project came to an end, I slowly started to use the images I had kept to myself and was afraid to make public due to various self-restrictions on the canvas.
In this exhibition, I will attempt to “face my shame,” to show parts of myself that I had not dared expose for a long time. Looking back now, I realise that “Revealed” has always been my creative pursuit. Just like the previous creative process, I used colours that I myself couldn’t see (red, green, and purple) as if I were playing a game. In the same way, conducted a series of experiments with colours. For me, it has been an opportunity to know myself better, and I hope to strive for a more original self through creation so my heart will no longer be ashamed and fearful.
