Kit Wan
"I work with, and explore within different art media, from sculptures, graphic, animation to textiles and clothing design, as my tools to denote my cosmos."
Kit Wan
Fashion designer
City of residence, OSLO, NORWAY
Location: Mellomstasjonen
Date and time:
Artist TALK: Friday 12 October (time TBA)
Launch Friday 12 October 19:00 - 21:00
Exhibition is up 13 October 12:00 - 19:00
Q & A:
COL: How old are you and where are you from?
KW: I’m 28 years old. Born and raised in Hong Kong, and is currently basing in Oslo, Norway
COL: What do you do?
KW: I am a visual artist/ fashion designer. And I work with, and explore within different art media, from sculptures, graphic, animation to textiles and clothing design, as my tools to denote my cosmos.
COL: How long have you been doing it?
KW: Theoretically, I would say that it has been around 10 years since I started my education in art and design. Counted from the point, when I became conscious of the intention behind my body of work and the process of it. But I feel like I am completely calibrated, every time when I start a new project.
COL: What’s your first artistic memory?
KW: At school, it was mandatory for kids to learn Chinese calligraphy at some points, to understand the different styles, techniques, history of it and the actual practice of writing calligraphy. To me as a kid, it meant more of a form of drawing than writing, which has to be performed with precision and acquisition of coordination. You had to be absolutely conscious
from the very beginning of preparation of the ink to every strokes you make, the composition, the balance of the characters and even your own breathing. That was the first time that I cannot just be as creative as I want, compared to my usual doodling. And I had to learn to be skillfully creative.
COL: What inspired you to pursue a career in art?
KW: It first started with my frustration for the schooling system back home, in which you can make
absolute no mistakes. And art gives me the complete opposite space to rebel and to not follow any formula of success or to be a straight-As student.
COL: Do you remember your first work of art?
KW: I think it was a painting that was inspired by René Magritte.
COL: If you could have any piece of art in history, what would you choose?
KW: It would definitely be the coffee table dress by the genius Hussein Chalayan from his 2000 A/W collection.
COL: What is your relationship with fashion?
KW: Fashion gives me a three dimensional space to bring my vision to life on bodies. To create a very intimate relationship between my work and the bodies.
COL: What does the word “collective” mean to you as an artist?
KW: You could be as good as you can within the spectrum of one discipline. But when you grow as an artist, you can only do or know so much on your own, that you need to assemble knowledges, to combine your talents with/ from other great minds to bombard. To bring each other to the next level.
COL: What is the best and worst thing about being an artist?
KW: Being an artist creates an universe, in which you have full control over things, the utopia which you can hide within, yet you constantly feel challenged or question big your own ability at the same time. You sort of live with this constant tension as well.
COL: Who do you admire?
KW: Hussein Chalayan
COL: What can we expect to see at this year’s festival?
KW: My Cosmo and my vision on the highly tech-oriented time that we are living in.
COL: How important is the ability to expose your art to you and your creative field?
KW: In my opinion, it is the upmost priority to me. While exposing my work to my audience or my creative field, it challenges me to navigate a pathway within my work to guide my audience to make connection with my work, yet leaving enough room for free interpretation. It gives my the chance to look at my work from a third perspective to give more dynamics between my work and the audience.
