Junli Huang
Coming from a vast city in China, where the culture is so different in comparison to London, almost everything about this capital city appears new. It is the uniqueness of London that catches my attention. In the process of exploring London, I find that there are a variety of people from different cultural backgrounds. It is intriguing how people and even pets adapt to this city in order to live in such an active and confined urban space, one that appears to have a very different way of life to the one which I am used to. I think about the relationship between people and the city in comparison to the aggregation and separation currently happening today. Through my paintings I attempt to convey my apprehension of the city’s indifference and the apparent gap that exists between people.
London is a very crowded city and living in such a limited space with little distance to one another, I am interested in how different kinds of people maintain their individuality or even uniqueness. In the meanwhile, the issue of how cultures conserve their own characteristics and independence in such a dynamic city is rather fascinating for me.
I am particularly intrigued by Adrian Ghenie’s paintings, which portray a sense of mystery and tension. The unique form which he uses to communicate history and subject matter in his painting is what has attracted me to his work. Hunting for the demon within the western modern history is always the content.
By showing the important clues, his paintings help audience to dig out the buried history. He is not a cold bystander. Dissatisfaction with the evil reality of the past is hidden in his paintings.
I am focusing on the exploration of composition and narrowing the content which is the livelihood of Chinese residents in London. Especially being Chinese, has raised my awareness of conflict between Eastern and Western culture. The main issue I am discussing is the feelings of disappointment within Chinese people in the UK and the contrast between expectation and reality. Films and books, for example, Ghosts 2006, a film based on the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster and Chinese Whispers: The True Story Behind Britain’s Hidden Army of Labour by Hsiao-Hung Pai, which is about the lives of Chinese migrant workers in the UK, have an great impact on my works.
I have been experimenting with the concept of storytelling by altering the composition into different shapes and forms within their own space. However, by briefly outlining the figure it limits the information allowing the audience to create their own links between the space and it gives them a chance to create their own narrative.
Education
- Since 2017 I am studying MA Fine art at the Chelsea college of arts, which is part of University of the Arts London.
- Since 2015 I am studying BA Fine art at the Wimbledon college of arts, which is part of University of the Arts London. Major pathway is oil painting.
- From 2013 to 2015 I followed the Wong Kuk professor to study oil painting.
- In 2013 I graduated from the Guangzhou University and received a bachelor’s degree in electronic and information engineering.
Group Exhibition
- 2017/06/15-06/24 London.UK Wimbledon College of Arts Undergraduate Summer Show
- 2017/03/09-03/11 London.UK ‘109 NAILS’ at Copeland gallery.
- 2016/07/02-07/31 Venezia.Italia ‘Il ponte – superamento e dialogo’ at GALLERIA TOTEM – IL CANALE.
- 2016/06/28-07/02 Tokyo.Japan ‘Line of edge’ at ART.IN.GALLERY.
Event and experience
- 26/01/2018 Being a member of the Digital Maker Collective attended the Uniqlo TATE LATE event. And my work the ‘REX’ was exhibited in the event.
Email: jhuangart@hotmail.com
Instagram: junlihuangart
