The act of overlaying logos with anything is radical, let alone with the words “New York.” What are you trying to say when you do that?
I am trying to not say anything. I was looking for something very general and I think the word New York is like a public domain which means everybody can use it, in other words people can picture, imagine, feel something about NY when they see or hear the word New York. So I let them think about their New York story when they see my New York art works. My mission of making NY artworks is just to make them exist like ready-made.
With your work, does the idea come before the art, or does the art tend to be made before there’s a concept for it?
Both but I always try to equalize the idea and the art. I want to make art visually, physically, conceptually enjoyable.
Can you tell me about LQQK Studio? What has your time working with them been like?
LQQK studio is a Brooklyn based print operation studio that handles everything from silkscreen and multifaceted creative collective. They have amazing communities and I met so many great artists, designers, musicians, people through LQQK studio and now I can call them my friends. Moreover, more importantly I've learned how to do silkscreen printing as a professional. I can make art pieces with silkscreen by myself and by my hands.
A lot of the works featured in this show are hazy, or obscured to some extent. Can you take me into that decision? Is that just your preferred mode of operation, or is there something deeper behind it?
Unlike using brushes which paint very direct and specific, spray paint can paint wide and soft. I feel mountains in that way. I didn't try to paint the exact figure of the mountains. I tried to paint something abstract behind the mountains. I have a story from one of my collectors. She and her family are from New Mexico and her father was a professional rock climber. She told me her father died while rock climbing so when she sees paintings of mountains, she always feels devastated. However, she said my mountain painting is the first mountain artwork she really likes and one of the paintings went to her place. This is what I wanted to paint and I think I did it.