Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Cheung.
Hi Chris, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m from beautiful subtropical Hong Kong, a metropolitan hub that has always been full of life, work, leisure and art. However in recent years, increased turmoil has really taken a toll on my beloved city. I plan to return home soon to join the growing movement of artists, who all seem to feel the city’s growing need for healing and art.
I’m a little ashamed of leaving home, but I’m grateful I found my way to Atlanta, where I had no expectation to fall in love with this city so much. What I’m most grateful for is falling in love with my own autonomy here. When I graduated art school, I was naïve and thought the world would be abundant with illustration opportunities. Eventually, I realized my style of art is not commercially consumable yet and I was not willing to compromise my style for opportunities. It has been a really difficult year for me adjusting to cold, hard reality. With a student work visa, I’m not allowed to work any job outside of my illustration field. However, it is this very limitation that pushed me to find ways to survive as an artist and find other artists whose lives are also compelled by a dream. There is no better place to dream than the infamous City of Hustlers, of creatives, musicians, painters, movie-makers, self-makers, small businesses, visionaries, a city which is loved and despised for these very things.
I began attending art shows and markets to sell my art and meet more eyes. Selling art is a tricky thing, you have to find your own balance of salesmanship while retaining your own humanity and artistic flair. I have to be careful not to get lost in the opportunities and money and remind myself of my dreams. Dreams are tricky, too; if you hold on too tight, they destroy your present. There is a lot to be responsible and be careful of in this world, things that can easily make you feel lost or make you become a shell of yourself. I’ve always wanted a structured job with someone higher up to give me commands and guidance. Art is one path that I’ve stubbornly avoided since the first day I ever contemplated careers – even back then, I knew it would mean having to endlessly advocate for myself and grasp opportunities on my own. As a sensitive introvert, I knew that that would be exhausting and terrifying. I think it still is; however, even if I kept avoiding it, I would have still ended up here, maybe at a later time. Now I’m quite content that this is my life’s path. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than having a present that is directly connected to a vision. I find no growth more authentic than finding my own answers and my own questions. And instead of someone high up being in charge of the next promotion, we are.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road cannot be further from smooth T.T. Last time I did one of these interviews, my struggle related to self-worth and how entangled my identity is to my art. I’ve noticed significant growth in those areas. This year, the biggest struggle is being tired. The intersection between work and life is too blurred in my practice, it feels like I’m always working. I’ve started noticing how easily this can overwhelm me. I think it’s just something I need to learn to put boundaries around. For example, if I’m enjoying a leisurely day out, I need to learn to stop the stream of ideas and avoid planning things in my mind. However, social media makes relaxing really hard. I have this anxiety that tells me I need to be constantly making sure I am providing or working on being consumable for my audience so they don’t forget me.
Right now, as I’m answering these questions, I’m struggling. I know I’ll feel different soon, but right now, I miss the relief of normalcy and structure. I miss the peace of knowing what my next year would look like. I’m very tired from not knowing if I will make enough so not to eat plain noodles and vegetables for a week. Some weeks are blessed, some have been barren. Sometimes, when I feel like I’ve conquered a mountain, there’s an even bigger, more complicated mountain behind it. Sometimes, I get so exhausted because I feel as if I’ve been expelled as far away from my comfort zone as possible, exerting most of my energy, yet, I know my level of output is only about 10% adequate if I want to make my dreams a reality, and that every step I’ve taken has been small. While conquering all that, I’m learning to conquer the squirrels in my attic.
However, the relief of accepting the process is gradually coming to me. I understand things take time to mature– visually and conceptually. As long as I’m putting the steps in, as small as they are, they will lead me where I need to be. I have faith in my vision. I think this is why the Underground art community in Atlanta is magic. We understand no matter where someone is visually with their art; it’s natural for us to have faith in their vision and provide genuine love and support for one another. I think it’s because we understand the resilience it takes to make the choice to do art and then display it. I have a deep love for the Underground community here. I’ve never felt competitiveness from there. Just a very pure and authentic mutual understanding and respect. When I’m surrounded by that, I don’t feel quite as tired anymore. I feel honoured and prepared to succeed with everyone, bit by bit. I’m thankful, thankful to the Universe for such a beautiful community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a freelance surreal-pop and neo-pop illustrator focused on emotion-based work. My main practice right now is to attempt to engage thought that is more nuanced and less binary. I want to encourage people to be more comfortable with the ambiguous and with the existence of things that don’t immediately check a box. I love to avert expectations.
I love to design creatures and imagery that are loud and bold. Maybe this is because I want to encourage people to be more fearless in the way they think and the way they express their inner world. Through my art, I return to the unassuming and limitless nature of being a child. I want to help people reach that place too.
Sometimes my work can be existential and sometimes, it’s just a loud expression of an emotion or a memory. Common themes found in my work are humour and pain. I think the way my work looks makes it very niche and not for everyone, but I’m beginning to appreciate that. When people do connect with my work, especially the ones I’ve produced recently, it feels spiritual and very personal.
At the center of it, my art revolves around love and acceptance. It is my way of communicating the beauty I see in all things. Life is all about perspective, and I think if you can have tolerance and even find beauty in things without discriminating between good or bad, then you can live with a perspective closer to what authentic reality is. In this lens, everything becomes just another beautiful human experience. I find that detached way of thinking very comforting and forgiving.
I have a lot to offer and a lot I want to put out. I’m patient, I know it’s just a matter of time.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
A lesson that has been reappearing in my life is that: people can only comprehend and understand things from their own intelligence and their own life experiences. I used to be so afraid of being misunderstood. I learn to not take it so personally now. Instead, I focus on those who do understand. I also focus on how I can further improve my communication and visual voice so that it lessens the barrier of understanding.
It’s important to remember; how the other side comprehends our work is not under our control and not to be taken personally. As personal as art is to you, it is just as personal to them. When I started putting that in my practice, I found it more interesting to hear what stories and emotions people feel from my art and became less interested in forcing my own meaning, entangling my identity, or attaching my self-worth. It gives me a glimpse of who they are. When people do connect to my art in the way I intended, it feels so special that it feels spiritual. It’s a transcendental feeling to be seen and accepted in our authenticity, I hope everyone gets to experience that. As important as it is to care about your audience, impactful art is made best when you advocate for yourself, especially since everyone’s life experiences and worldviews are so different, it is impossible to try to please everyone or get everyone to understand. This lesson applies well to every form of interaction outside of art. It has released me from a lot of expectations and frustration. As long as you’re taking your own time, and walking your own path, you’re doing great. In every situation, we just need to be our best selves and don’t lose sight of our vision and what we value. Stay above it all!
Pricing:
- I sell standard-sized prints that are from $25 – $35. For commissions and framed prints, please personally reach out.
Contact Info:
- Website: chrischeungcreative.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/chemicalvillage
Image Credits
Aymo Studio
