Ken Lum

born in 1956 in Vancouver, Canada; lives and works in Vancouver, Canada

Ken Lum is the descendent of the Chinese immigrants in Canada and a son of working-class parents, raised in East Vancouver. Being no stranger to the hard work and poverty of the working class, he often tells in his art the stories of the ordinary, hardworking people. His art is informed by empathy and sensitivity to their fate. Lum is also interested in the search of identity and invites the viewers to take part in this journey. He seeks to shake them, make them less certain and in that way broaden their horizons and allow them to gain a greater understanding of themselves. The Portrait-Repeated text series is among the most famous and critically acclaimed pieces by Lum. The posters present ordinary people captured when they are on their own. The text by the photo conveys their internal monologue, their emotions and thoughts. Through these works, the artist shows the aspects of life that are rarely depicted in art and allows us to hear the voice of people who usually don’t find their way into the public sphere. The works known as The Shopkeeper Signs explore the theme of the internal struggle “behind the scenes” and the clash between the public and the private image of self. The works expose the carefully constructed public image and show the suffering and real human emotions that are buried underneath it. Monument for East Vancouver is an illuminated installation that presents the image circulating for some time in the East Vancouver – the poorer, working-class district of the city, and also the place where Lum spent his childhood.

What do contemporary people need art for?
Contemporary people have no time for anything except going about what they are doing without challenging why the way things are. Contemporary people generally know nothing about contemporary art and many are resentful of artists. Which is why they need contemporary art, because contemporary art is about mindset. It may not make a person happier to have a wider field of vision. Indeed, it may have the opposite effect, but contemporary art does make the understanding of self and the experience of life deeper and more complete.

Why do you create art?
I create art because I believed it is the only area of true escape from the systematized and defined world, and although in recent years, I have developed great doubts about I still believe this.