Happy Never After

Opening Reception: Friday, 24 June 2016, 6-9 pm

24 June - 17 July 2016

Solo exhibition of new works by Saigon-based mixed media artist Khoa Le
Khoa Le is a talented young visual artist who also works as an illustrator and an author of short stories and picture books for children. Her diverse skill set is on full display in the fantastical creations of the Happy Never After series. Khoa’s prodigious imagination and her impressive ability to work with various media combine to create works that are each fairy tale worlds in and of…

Solo exhibition of new works by Saigon-based mixed media artist Khoa Le
Khoa Le is a talented young visual artist who also works as an illustrator and an author of short stories and picture books for children. Her diverse skill set is on full display in the fantastical creations of the Happy Never After series. Khoa’s prodigious imagination and her impressive ability to work with various media combine to create works that are each fairy tale worlds in and of…

Solo exhibition of new works by Saigon-based mixed media artist Khoa Le
Khoa Le is a talented young visual artist who also works as an illustrator and an author of short stories and picture books for children. Her diverse skill set is on full display in the fantastical creations of the Happy Never After series. Khoa’s prodigious imagination and her impressive ability to work with various media combine to create works that are each fairy tale worlds in and of themselves.

In preparation for her upcoming solo exhibition, we posed some questions below of Khoa about her work, her latest collection and her creative influences and approach.

Can you tell me about your work as an illustrator? What type of projects do you work on?

My day job is as an illustrator for books, and the major projects that I have worked on include drawing illustrations for picture books, magazines, newspapers, and book covers. In addition, I am continuously working on my paintings. I have participated in several group exhibitions since my first solo show in 2010. It is the way that I express myself outside of my work as an illustrator; it’s a place for entirely personal creativity, without the limitations imposed by work projects.

I understand that you are also an author. Can you tell me about the types of books that you write?
In addition to writing short stories that have been published in Thanh Nien and Tuoi Tre newspapers, I have had several compilations published in book form under the pseudonym Bích Khoa. I also have written and illustrated many picture books for children.

Can you tell me about where you derive the inspiration for your paintings? Were you a big fan of fairy tales when you were a child?
Being an illustrator and an author of many children’s picture books, I am always a loyal audience of the fairy tale. I think that they are an unlimited source of inspiration because it is almost the first approach to beauty; a version of “literary-arts” for children (possibly through the first picture book or through bedtime stories). But I think that when we become adults, we all are induced to forget them, unconsciously or consciously, because we assume they are just “childish stories.” In fact, to the contrary, a fairy tale is an adult story of that is retold in a different way to make them more joyful and suitable for children. But as an artist, I want to bring to my fellow adults fairy tales of their own. There is not only romance and flying fairies, but also the woes, pain, loneliness, and struggles of the maturation process. Hiding behind metaphorical images, it is a disillusioned world of adults. But at the same time, there is also a beautiful inner world which is rich and deep where there is not only the “happy ever after”, but also many other important things.

Could you describe for me again step-by-step the process of making your work from inspiration to the final product?
I create the materials that I use in my paintings by experimenting with different types of materials (types of colors, chemicals, etc.) to make different textures and patterns. I then scan what I have created onto the computer, and combine everything together in the drawing process on the computer. The paintings are then printed in monoprint and mounted on canvas. Finally, they are coated with a layer of resin. This ensures that the paintings are waterproof and that the vivid colors will endure.

Are there certain writers/tales (Perrault, the Brother’s Grimm, etc.) that you find particularly interesting or who have influenced your work?
A number of writers have served as a source of inspiration because I like reading books in my spare time. I am not, however, someone who can read and critique books professionally. Usually, I choose to read what I like and I decide whether I like a book or not within the first twenty pages. I particularly enjoy stories by Charles Perrault, the Brother’s Grimm, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Jean Paul Satre, and Haruki Murakami.

Many people have commented on the darkness in your work when seeing previous pieces? Do you find them dark and where does that darkness come from?

I think there are some dark elements in my paintings. Perhaps partly because I myself am somewhat introverted and prefer to focus my attention on the inner qualities of people rather than the exterior flash around them. I believe that almost all of us, to a greater or lesser extent, have inner worlds in our subconscious that contain our darkest thoughts and the secrets and scars that we keep hidden. I don’t think this is entirely a bad thing. Nonetheless, we should from time to time look into these dary places. They are a part of what makes us human and they also have aspects that are beautiful and have their own value which should be respected.

In addition to a certain macabre quality, many of your works like Fairest feature an absurdist sense of humour to them. Can you please talk about that?
Many friends of mine have told me that I do have at times a somewhat sarcastic sense of humour. I think this is true to a certain extent and at times it can appear in my paintings. For example, in the piece The Fairest, I really do not want to reveal my thoughts and would prefer to let the viewers feel and tell their own version of the story. Each of my paintings usually has several levels of meaning and there is room for all interpretations. Some of my friends have seen The Fairest and commented that to them it represents “the revenge of the trophy wife.” Maybe that is a sign of the humor that viewers feel when they see my work?

If you could talk directly to your viewers and collectors about your work, what would you say to them?

“Enjoy the paintings and find in them your own fairy tale!”

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