CURATOR'S CHOICE - ARTIST INTERVIEW
GALLERY OMATA
April 11, 2023
Yau Wing Leung Thomas graduated in Creative Media from the City University of Hong Kong in 2021, and lives and works in Hong Kong. Leung’s art practice excels in the use of image transformation, exploring the possibility of cyanotype from documentation to visual communication, with a focus on photography, installation and art direction. He has experience in the production of performing arts.
Looking at your work brings the aesthetic of the television series True Detective to mind, a feeling of agitation and an underlying frisson. In your artist statement you speak of the "clairvoyance of nature itself" are you seeking to touch the ineffable in your work? Reaching for what is just beyond what we normally perceive?
Many people have commented that my work resembles a detective or murder mystery, even reminiscent of E.T. However, I intend to present the human body shape in an archival format, documenting its structure and curves. I utilize the cyanotype method, which involves creating a photogram by transferring an object directly onto a surface using the power of the sun.
Today, people are increasingly concerned about their appearance and body shape, which can lead to body shaming due to societal standards. However, we are all unique and should love and accept ourselves as we are. The sun partly highlights the image, drawing the audience's attention to specific details. The shadows and edges printed by the sun reveal the soul or bones of the body, allowing for a different perspective on reading the message from the image.
How did you get started with cyanotype, it is an unusual medium to work in, what was it that attracted you when you started working with it?
I started working on cyanotype from my graduation project Standard Shell which explored photography and the standard of beauty about the human body. I was drawn to the raw and experimental nature of creating images, and the cyanotype process provided me with a unique opportunity to create photograms.
Today, people are increasingly concerned about their appearance and body shape, which can lead to body shaming due to societal standards. However, we are all unique and should love and accept ourselves as we are. The sun partly highlights the image, drawing the audience's attention to specific details. The shadows and edges printed by the sun reveal the soul or bones of the body, allowing for a different perspective on reading the message from the image.
Lying a body on the fabric and rose petals on paper requires a high level of craftsmanship. Each photogram has a time limitation of 8 to 10 minutes, which I may build a connection with the objects as I touch and shape the image in real-time. The cyanotype process allows me to create images that are both raw and experimental, while also requiring a level of skill and craftsmanship that is deeply satisfying.
Your installation work Standard Shell creates a barrier for the audience, the two sided pyramid obscuring what is beneath the structure. The viewer is forced to circumnavigate the installation and view it from all sides. When you were conceiving the work were you mindful of controlling the audience in this manner?
The pyramid structure is a form of standard that demonstrates and standardizes body shape, which is something we are often asked to appreciate and follow. In the installation of Standard Shell I was very mindful of creating a barrier for the audience and obscuring what was beneath the structure. The two-sided pyramid forced audiences to circumnavigate the installation and view it from all sides, which was intentional.
I am going to create an immersive experience for the audience by forcing them to move around the installation and view it from different angles. By hanging two bodies up on the pyramid, I wanted to present the lab and research format, displaying and announcing the standard of body shape to the world, and making a statement. The rest of the body prints are gently folded and placed on the floor, suggesting that they may not be good enough to be shown.