AMoCA Collection | The Girl on the Grasshopper, 2008, earthenware, 15”x34”x50”
RAIR | 2008-09
Koi Neng Liew
Koi Neng Liew received his BFA from The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, and completed his MFA at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Liew has received numerous grants and fellowships, including the Taunt Fellowship at the Archie Bray Foundation. His sculptures are in permanent and private collections across the United States, and he has exhibited both nationally and internationally. In 2010 he moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta, to continue his career as a full-time studio artist at Medalta International Artists in Residence Program. Liew teaches sculpture and drawing in the Visual Communications Department at Medicine Hat College.
Roswell Museum and Art Center
Rair exhibition • Koi Neng Liew• April 4 - May 10, 2009
My figurative sculpture is based on an examination of my life. The interaction between the figure and the objects they’re paired with are crucial. The figures are usually homogenous, and the objects interacting with them emphasize their individual character and expression. The basis of these characters derive from cherished memories, overwhelming desires, struggles, and the camaraderie I have experienced with my friends and family.
Growing up in Singapore, and now living in the United States for the past eight years, has caused me to reflect and contemplate cultural differences. My childhood consisted of strong male influences. I ponder the many roles men have played in my life, be it the provider, the protector, the friend or the brother. My early figurative work was inspired by the investigation of traditional expectations and behavior within my native country.
Currently my sculptures are groups of anthropomorphic figures, focused on male/female relationships. These relationships reflect on desire, longing, and the emotional ties between the two genders. A concentration on the half-rabbit half-human figure has been an exploration on the duality of behavior between animals and humans, metaphorically commenting that sometimes we are not that different at all. Human sexual encounters can be easily dismissed, and intimate relationships not held in a sacred manner.Koi Neng Liew, 2009