present in the Marshall Gallery



Koi Neng Liew
March-April, 2009

Koi Neng Liew’s figurative sculptures portray a variety of expressive characters. His current body of work is based on an examination of unique and intriguing personalities Liew has met in recent years. He transforms each character by distilling prominent aspects of their personality. Exaggerated proportions, obscure objects and gestures personify each character’s disposition. One of Liew’s reoccurring characters, Rabbit Man, was conceived as an alter ego of Liew, who was born in the year of the rabbit based on the Chinese Zodiac Calendar. Liew was born in Singapore and has been living in the United States for the past 9 years. This cultural displacement has been an important aspect in Liew’s creative process. His examination of traditional cultural behaviors between the two societies has had a significant effect on the personalities of his anthropomorphic figures. The rabbit/human forms are symbolic of the artist himself and depict a narrative of significant events that have happened throughout his journey in the western world.

Koi Neng Liew received his MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He was the Taunt Fellowship recipient at the Archie Bray Foundation in 2005, and has exhibited nationally and internationally since 1999.

 

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