Today we’d like to introduce you to Hoa Hong.
Hoa, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My interest in fashion and music rekindled my love for painting. Though I have been creating and painting things for as long as I can remember. I did not paint religiously until my final year of college.
In 2015, I started off with painting portraits of hip hop artists for fun and as gifts to my friends. I painted many artists from contemporary era like A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean, etc. to the OGs like Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, and so on. People started getting know my work through these portraits around the city, and they started reaching out for private commissions and murals.
I then realized I need to be more serious in perfecting my craft so I decided to deepen my study in painting and drawing. Study under artists like Ann Gale, Zhi Lin and David Brody, my understanding of figurative painting started to shift significantly. I focused on learning techniques and improving my studio practice at first then eventually on concepts. Just like Picasso said it, “learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
In the nature of my work, I constantly find ways to break rules and follow through with concepts. To me, painting is a crucial device to express myself and advocate for what I believe in. It is part of who I am and what I do so no matter if I am traveling or working, I make sure to work around my schedule so that painting could stay as my priority.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I often seek for honesty and truth in painting. My work reflects upon my own identity and my surroundings. I am very interested in portraying the common life/people, and most recent, the struggles of being kids of immigrants and what it’s like to grow up in a low-income community.
I am very fortunate to grow up in a racially and culturally diverse city called Tukwila, located on the South end of Seattle. When I look around or think of painting “my people” and community, I often see and depict racially ambiguous and/or small racial groups in which are not often represented in paintings or visual arts in general. I want everyone’s story to be heard including my own, one brushstroke at a time, one painting at a time.
My creative process involves interviewing my subject, photographing and observing them in their natural elements, work and daily life. These individual stories are my source of inspirations because at the end the day, we are all interconnected through our community, shared living condition and hardship.
As kids of immigrants, we learn to be selfless for our parents as they sacrifice their lives for a better future. We all learn how to give more than to take. My way of giving back to my community is to tell the stories I have lived and see from day to day basis.
How can artists connect with other artists?
I believe community and personal connections are crucial to the art making process and representation. It is important for artists to inspire and support each other. In order to do so, I go to art show, curate shows and participate in group shows. There are many great ways to meet other artists, you just have to connect the dots! If you happen to feel lonely in the art world, chances are there are other artists who feel the same way you do out there. Every city art scene is different but there is always something happening, weekly, monthly, etc. You definitely have to reach out and find your niche. It’s always great to see what other artists are up to and talk art.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be seen via Instagram (@whoaaart) and website (hoahongart.com)
Contact Info:
- Website: hoahongart.com
- Email: contacthoaforart@gmail.com
- Instagram: whoaaart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whoaaart/
Image Credit:
Sonia Xu
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