Artist Statement
Pheng’s practice includes photographic and installation-based work that showcased a renewed interest in Hmong identity. His cultural identity as a child didn’t interest him at first. Now as an adult, he uses his art practice to seek knowledge on being Hmong and understand that part of his identity more deeply. He explores, discovers, and scrutinizes cultural issues affecting this generation through the lens of someone who is learning. His work represents the complex identity of being both Hmong and American.
Throughout years of external research, learning, and exposure to the culture, Pheng has been away from home. Now his desire to return, is not only to re-branch the bridge between himself and his parents, but to sprout newer paths through personal growth. By unraveling its history as well as utilizing the knowledge and processes that he has accumulated, Pheng hopes to create works of art that reconstruct personal memories and emotions, to a universal surface.
By bringing into service a combination of found objects, historical photographs, cultural knowledge, drawn prints, and ephemeral conversations, Pheng constructs a physical manifestation of memory. Memory to him, is not a stagnate pool but a dynamic force evolving with time and experience. He seeks to capture this fluidity by breathing new life into these old recollections. By outlining personal drawings, reconstructing old artifacts, or recreating historical photoshoots, he utilizes ways in which he can embed himself with the past. Gaining a deeper understanding of his cultural identity, through the re-branching of himself and his parents.
In essence, Pheng’s artistic process becomes a collaborative endeavor. Weaving the voices of the communities and inviting outsiders into a singular space, encourages dialogue between past, present, and future. He hopes that these types of artworks spark conversation and reconnection with the audiences own personal histories. Continuing the legacy of repetition and story.