Hengzhi Gong

I am a reticent Chinese who seldom speaks much. My personality conveys itself implicitly, which does not so much exist in my daily behaviour but surfaces in paintings where my thoughts and emotions reside. Beneath the whimsical story floating on the surface, my painting always has a deeper expression and explanation folded in. 

The figures in my paintings come from my personal experience and dreams. These add an absurd and humorous narrative that connect one figure to another. The narrative, always stemming from contemporary social and political issues, might lend these figures allegorical meaning and content. In this way, these quotidian images do not just speak for themselves, but also represent something else–a surplus. This process is a critical element that helps me conduct political allegory in my work. Besides their absurd and humorous qualities, my paintings also reflect an element of self-mockery aimed at my powerlessness towards self-censorship as a Chinese artist. This, I find, brings an immense sadness that is hidden in their happiness to my paintings. Overall, I do not merely want to document my experiences, dreams and imagination through my paintings, but also utilise forces as another voice to express my identity, political opinions and others thoughts which I could hardly speak out loud in my real life. 

For all inquiries please email hengzhig@gmail.com