We recently connected with Hung-Ju Kan and have shared our conversation below.

Hung-Ju, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

For me, the act of creating itself is neither a happy nor a sad experience. It is more like a diary, a vessel that allows me to authentically record or reflect various emotions and feelings within myself.

Indeed, I have thought about it, but I am not exclusively a full-time artist. Besides being an artist during the weekdays, I am also a painting teacher on weekends. Being an artist is emotional and romantic, while being a teacher is rational and stable. These two roles are relative and contradictory, yet they provide me with a balance between reality and dreams.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Kan Hung-Ju is from Taiwan. After obtaining my MFA degree from MassArt in 2021, He moved to New York for work. Currently, He is a painter and an art teacher. He had exhibited at the Harvard University Smith Center in 2019, had a solo exhibition in Boston in 2021, and participated in the Taipei Art Fair in 2022.

Kan has received artistic training in both Eastern and Western contexts since childhood, a common upbringing in Taiwan. “Western artists are unlikely to practice calligraphy or ink painting from a young age, but the training of Asian artists is generally influenced by Western art. This is obviously the best feature and competitive advantage.”

After foundational training, Kan began questioning different things, including aspects of creation and painting, always contemplating if there might be another possibility. I conducted numerous experiments exploring new sparks between Eastern and Western artistic traditions.

Kan feels that the influence of ink painting on him is immense. Besides the development of technical skills, the most significant impact lies in the perspective of creating and understanding artworks. Ink painting involves projecting oneself into the artwork or reacting to the psychological state constructed by environmental influences, creating an imagined space. In contrast, Western art tends to see mountains as mountains and water as water, reflecting a subjective element. With a background in ink painting and the influence of the Western environment, this combination seeks to find a unique and contemporary sense of self, region, and identity, attempting to create an imaginative space where one can immerse oneself, both in the East and the West.

After coming to the United States, Kan often contemplates what home looks like to me or what I think a home should be like. This exploration delves into his sense of identity and positioning.

His artwork is inspired by ordinary materials and experiences in daily life. Through experimentation with materials, he aims to break free from the traditional boundaries of painting, combining painting and printmaking techniques. Using floral fabrics collected from everyday life in Taiwan, from family clothing to wallpaper on walls, these fabrics represent my imagination of home. Kan transfers these fabrics onto canvases, creating a comfortable and secure state.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

For me, creation is largely a means of self-discovery, or rather, using the act of creating to better understand myself. After coming to the United States, there were challenges at times due to language and cultural differences in truly integrating into what is considered the “mainstream American society,” but gradually, I started to feel comfortable and at ease.

In such situations, I sometimes experience an illusion – both Taiwan and New York feel like home, yet neither truly feels like home. This led me to contemplate how to navigate this sense of contradiction and anxiety.

Through experimenting with materials to break free from the confines of traditional painting, I combine painting and printmaking techniques. I go back to collecting floral fabrics from everyday life in Taiwan, ranging from family clothing to wallpaper on walls. These fabrics represent my imagination of home. I transfer these floral patterns onto canvases, finding a comfortable and secure symbol.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I feel that many times people imagine creativity or art as something very romantic, but I would say that an artist is a practical producer, spending a lot of time researching materials and subjects, with the goal of continuous production. In reality, it’s such a practical endeavor; creation involves interacting with materials and oneself. However, creating the artwork is just a part of the job. More often, the focus is on contemplating the essence of art itself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kan_hungju/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000939459892

Image Credits
photo: @yichen_815. (instagram)