CELESTIAL; beyond imagination | Karen Cheok

WHITE GALLERY

CELESTIAL
beyond imagination

September 6 – 20, 2019

Closing Reception:
Wednesday, September 18, 6:00 – 8:00PM

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White Gallery is proud to present “CELESTIAL: beyond imagination,” an experimental exhibition by Malaysian-Chinese visual artist Karen Cheok. Using over 30 common liquids and dry materials, Cheok explores the aesthetic nature of chemical reactions while drawing universal parallels and comparisons. Featuring time-based video art. Curated by Thién Mùi Easland.

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ABOUT CELESTIAL

Artist Biography, 2019

Karen Cheok is a Malaysian-Chinese visual artist born in 1998. Currently, she is pursuing a Fine Arts education at the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) while simultaneously diving into her freelance artist career. Cheok’s works are dominantly influenced by her imaginations and world perspective. Her paintings are infused with vibrant colours and feature a collective realm of mythological theme, allowing her to depicts an imaginary universe that is both aesthetically and intriguingly visionary.

Besides traditional paintings, Cheok has experimented with various mediums and has found an interest in video art. She began practicing video art and experimenting with rather peculiar materials not commonly used in traditional art processes. A strong use of colours and visual movement found in Cheok’s work remain central and consistent across artistic mediums. Both hold a strong presence in her art, alluring the audience into exploring and be mesmerized by her whimsical and colourfully structured interpretation of the world.

Artwork Statement:

“CELESTIAL: beyond imagination,” is an experimental project in which I strived to capture the beauty of chemical reactions between different liquids, simultaneously resembling the galaxy and an ever-changing universe.

For this series, I used over 30 kinds of liquids of various and contrasting densities, combined with a few dry materials such as acid powder, turpentine, medium oil, baking soda, dish soap and so on. It was these everyday items that proved to be not only sufficient, but unusually extraordinary mediums able to create visually engaging and inspiring outcomes that rival paint on canvas.

By utilizing various liquids of different densities and chemical elements, I produced unique chemical reactions on film. I incorporated photography to capture the short-term beauty, in turn creating enduring works of art.

~ Karen Cheok

Littman WhiteSeptember 23, 2019