Artist BODHI Finds Consolation in Merging Each Mediums

Ongoing from now to eight July, artist BODHI (Ho Chung Kwang) is staging an exhibition with Singapore’s Gallery 1819 as a part of its showcase known as, “Sonata Allegro”. Artworks from his Astrochemistry Sequence will likely be on show and it goals to function BODHI’s pursuits in EDM. Utilizing psychoacoustic strategies the place totally different moods and themes from a selected music observe get portrayed within the type of visuals, BODHI interprets the distinctive soundwaves into cowl artwork or visualizer artwork.

Forward, we communicate with BODHI to study extra about how he connects his ardour for music and the creation of artworks.

You have been born in 2000 in Penang, Malaysia. Inform us about your first steps as an artist?

Thanks for the chance for me to share my works together with your readers. I used to be born in Penang, Georgetown, Malaysia. I used to be a hyperactive little one rising up, and my dad and mom put me in artwork tuition in hopes that I might sit nonetheless. That didn’t cease me from being hyperactive, however finally, I began to love drawing as a interest.

The place did your nickname “BODHI” come from?

The phrase “BODHI” got here from an extended phrase “Bodhicara”, which implies enlightenment within the Pali language. This title was given to me by a Sri Lankan monk whose temple my dad and mom used to go to. And since I used to be born on Vesak day, on the lunar calendar, the monk gave me this nickname. It grew with my household, and my dad and mom began to handle me as BODHI.

Your large-scale work mix oil and spray paints together with your signature drawings. How would you describe your fashion?

I often paint in well-liked sizes that look good for many houses and business areas. For this present sequence, I used acrylic because the medium. I did a little bit of oil again once I was finding out at Nanyang Academy of High-quality Arts, however it didn’t keep lengthy as soon as I used to be uncovered to acrylic. I felt that acrylic was extra appropriate for me.

I feel my works are surrealist however dissimilar to the post-war surrealism artwork motion. It’s a mode that mixes one or few fragmented figurative topic issues into a picture whereas including summary patterns to conjure a single portray, thus making it look and feel surreal.

So as to add on, I’m very a lot influenced and impressed by a number of artists. The primary can be Chayanin Kwangkaew, a painter in Thailand, and the second artist can be the French Duo, TelmoMiel. Each are surrealist artists of their area.

One other factor that influenced me was the concept of flatness. I used to be influenced by Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami, not for his colors and graphic artwork fashion, however largely as a result of he was one of many pioneers and some of the outstanding artists within the tremendous flat artwork motion.

What kind of artwork supplies do you often work with?

The artwork supplies that I work with are brushes, acrylic paint, and canvases. We’re seeing extra up to date artists and rising artists mixing totally different supplies and mediums to current fascinating artworks to the viewers. I might say I’m a traditionalist, although my works aren’t conventional.

I really feel that to be an artist, you will need to have technical abilities moreover creativity, so I love individuals who show sturdy technical abilities of their artworks. For now, I’m a traditionalist as a result of I comply with the trail of eager to have good technical abilities.

Amongst your pursuits are DJing and Beatboxing, how is music deeply influencing your artwork?

I used to be concerned about music way back earlier than I began doing music engineering and beatboxing. I’ve deeper appreciation for music now due to the technical difficulties that I’ve seen via, doing all of the totally different DJing stuff and beatboxing, however the motive why I like music that a lot and the way it influenced my artwork is how I didn’t grow to be a musical artist.

For now, I grow to be a visible artist like a painter, and I can nonetheless take what has an enormous affect on me, like music and implement it into artwork, in order that’s how music has influenced me.

Including on to that, I really feel music is essential. It has a major impact on an individual’s emotional facet due to its nature. Music doesn’t want lyrics and even context however it possess the flexibility to cross via the logical a part of the mind and affect our psyche.

So once I take a look at an paintings, I don’t learn an excessive amount of into its meanings. Similar to expressionism or impressionism, you don’t want to grasp the context and nonetheless be influenced by the colors and all of the feelings that the portray can evoke. Very similar to how music is ready to convey comparable emotions, the method is unstoppable except you cowl your ears or eyes.

Faith can be influencing your view of the world and your artwork. Inform us extra there?

For now, faith isn’t a part of me as an artist or in any of my paintings. Possibly within the distant future I could be influenced to include it into my artworks, both visually as an aesthetic or contextually. We received’t know!

What feelings do you hope the viewers expertise when taking a look at your artwork?

I would really like viewers to expertise my very own interpretation of the music’s essence and never simply the likeness and mind-set that I’m when making the work.

What has been your newest challenge and what’s deliberate for you throughout 2022?

I’m curating for The Fluxus Home and taking part in a few totally different exhibitions with the intention to deliver consciousness to BODHI as a creative model. These exhibitions are largely promotional exhibitions to relaunch me as an artist and a home curator.

What can artwork lovers and collectors anticipate to see from you at your present exhibition staged at Gallery 1819 in Singapore?

Pleasure and vitality! I’m in all probability the youngest artist within the lot to have this chance and showcase my works on the gallery. A shout out to artwork lovers and collectors on the market: I hope to deliver new and refreshing works to your present assortment and assist rising artists like myself.

Are you additionally taking a look at creating your personal NFTs?

Not at this juncture. I’ve offered NFT up to now, however I wish to set up myself as BODHI earlier than I get forward to do collaboration within the NFT house.

You now reside in Singapore, what’s your favorite reminiscence of Penang?

Me visiting Georgetown Pageant! You get to look at theatre reveals, music performances and a number of totally different exhibitions and art-related actions. They’re largely held at Penang’s UNESCO heritage websites, which I fondly keep in mind visiting with my household and pals.

It’s fairly totally different from Singapore Artwork Week, the place there are extra performances and free road performances corresponding to dances, theatre and music than simply visible arts.

In case you have been to call one mentor who has impressed you in your life and path as an artist, who would that be?

My Mentor and artist, Mr Choy Kim Hong. He taught me in kindergarten, in artwork tuition and thru highschool. He inspired me to change from Commerce to Arts, and beneath his tutelage, I continued my research in artwork at NAFA. He vastly conjures up me to proceed my research within the Arts and grow to be a full-time artist. With out him, I might not be the place I’m at this time, having this chance to share my journey with you.

To study extra BODHI, comply with his Instagram: @hochungkwang. Go to Gallery 1819’s web site right here and make sure to comply with the Instagram: @gallery1819singapore.

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