This abstract painting features a striking composition of bold, expressive brushstrokes in a palette of deep, earthy tones. The dominant hues of ochre, sienna, and black create a sense of turbulence and movement, with swirling, dynamic forms that evoke a sense of chaos or struggle. The overall effect is one of raw, primal energy, conveyed through the artist's dynamic and gestural application of paint. While the subject matter is not immediately recognizable, the work seems to capture a sense of human emotion or experience, perhaps alluding to the artist's own internal state or spiritual journey. ...
KV Duong examines Vietnamese queer identity, migration, and cultural assimilation through personal and family histories. His early work with latex highlights the material’s link to French colonial rubber plantations in Vietnam, while also embracing its sensual and symbolic associations with queer experience. Doors and portals frequently appear as motifs, representing both opportunity and the constraints imposed by societal and colonial norms, particularly in relation to LGBTQ+ histories. Duong’s practice is marked by a commitment to continually push technical and conceptual boundaries. As his experience deepens, his choices of materials and methods grow more intricate, requiring extensive research, planning, and collaboration with peers and technicians. Although his work remains centered on Vietnamese queer identity, collaborations have broadened its focus, making his artistic voice more universal. His influences shift depending on the project. Currently working with latex, Duong looks to pioneers like Eva Hesse and Heidi Bucher. He admires Anselm Kiefer for his monumental scale and reflective approach. Movements like Fluxus, Gutai, and Viennese Action inspire him for their use of the body as a creative tool and metaphor, with Tibor Hajas particularly influencing his first live body painting. Abstract expressionists Pollock and De Kooning shape his aesthetic sense, while postcolonial and poststructuralist thinkers—such as Homi Bhabha, Salman Rushdie, Michel Foucault, and Ocean Vuong—inform his intellectual framework. ...
Harlesden High Street was founded with the mission of facilitating access between experimental/outsider artists and the traditional gallery system. Working across several spaces in London, the gallery exhibits contemporary art by both local and international artists with a focus on exhibiting work by people of colour. In addition to its gallery programme, Harlesden High Street also hosts a cultural outreach programme with an aim to engage audiences in un-gentrified neighborhoods, through workshops, talks and artist initiatives. In 2023, the gallery also co-founded Minor Attractions, an inclusive micro-fair that gives access to both London and international galleries during Frieze week. ...
