Friday, June 1, 2012

Artist of the Month- June- XYZ

Street Art and their creators have had a recent boom in the art industry. Of course we all know the Messiah of street artists, Banksy and HK's God of Graffiti, the King of Kowloon. There is a lot of developing and emerging talent in this kind of work as spray paint and walls are easily accessible to people. As long as one doesn't mind treading a little on the dangerous side...

I thought it was about time that my blog give some love to one of HK's street artists, XYZ.
Despite his penchant for my nemesis, performance art, (ugh),  I think he is incredibly talented. I like how his pieces are never really finished and are always evolving into bigger and better things.  I really love his art collaboration group DimmSumm which consists of him and 2 other local artists making a collective community where artists can come together and share their work together. You can view their work and learn about upcoming shows at their website here.

His survey is below! Some of the questions were slightly altered because his medium is art and not theatre. Check out his answer to number 5, it's so sweet!!!! We are always striving to feature new and upcoming talent on the blog! If you know of someone you think is worthy of the Artist of the Month feature feel free to nominate them! We accept all mediums of art, theatre, music and dance.


1. Name, Birthplace, Age
Olgierd, Wroclaw, 32

2. How does where you were raised affect your work as an artist?
Wroclaw, similarly to my second beloved city Berlin, is open to various influences from techno and punk to classical music. I'm less dogmatic regarding style and this could be an explanation.

3. Where did you train? Or were you self taught?
I started when I was 16 in a sort of art society learning painting, sculpture and traditional graphic for few years. From then I continued through graffiti, street art, assemblage to more recent interest in
painting-objects.

4. What is your favorite style of Art? Do you have a favorite artist?
I guess partially I've responded already to this question. I do appreciate much medieval mostly anonymous painters, van Eyck, Mallevitch, Rothko, Stella,Tarasewicz,Warhol. The closest is perhaps Gerchard Richter who is exploring both realistic and abstract representation.

5. What was the best art show you ever saw?
Life is an everyday best show.

6. What was the best art show in HK you EVER saw? (You cannot say your own.)
As much as I can remember it would be the concert of Ratatata or Flaming Lips. I guess it has much more to do with the surprise to discover something unknown then the ultimate quality of what is displayed. With painting exhibitions the problem is that the show is taking over
contemplation that is difficult to achieve in bigger crowd.

7.What piece of work are you the most proud of? (please include photo, if possible)
For now it is a composition-assemblage “Dancing Elephants perform Twin
Towers”. I like the meaning of nonsense entertainment that this piece is
criticizing, I like the idea of painting as open composition that can be
extended or reshuffle.
"Dancing Elephants perform Twin Towers"
Enamel and spray paint on wooden panel

8. What is your process like?
There are many initial inputs. Sometimes the main idea for the next painting or collection comes from formal explorations such as stencil; in other case it is a development of topics that I have worked previously. The input might come as well from outside in form of collaborative
exhibitions as it is the case with James Churchill RE gallery. The further
development is already a very individualized process.

9. What is your dream project?
My dream project would be to develop an open composition painting construct of hundred elements that I would add year by year. A sort of life project.

10. If you could change one thing about the HK Art Scene what would it be?
 I would rather modify education system so the Art Scene has a base to grow on.
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He has an upcoming exhibit at the RE Gallery called "Secret Garden" June 14th.

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