Luke Heng’s minimalist paintings are “anti-Instagram” – they stand out precisely because they’re the antithesis to today’s filter-happy feeds.
Luke Heng’s minimalist paintings are “anti-Instagram” – they stand out precisely because they’re the antithesis to today’s filter-happy feeds.
His paintings may look deceivingly simple, but they can take up to 20 to 30 coats of paint to execute (and not just one app).
The reason behind such intensive labour? To Heng, 29, the process of creating an artwork is as (if not more) important as the final product, and this stems from his personal philosophy. He says: “When you look at the works, I hope that your mind switches to a slower pace, a more calming space – your mind is in a different plane in contrast to your physical body.”
Heng’s paintings seem to have resonated with buyers and curators. In 2015, two years after graduating from Lasalle College of the Arts-Goldsmiths, he held his first solo exhibition, The Waiting Room, at the Fost Gallery with the support of gallery founder Stephanie Fong. It turned out to be a blockbuster success with nearly every piece sold. He staged a second successful solo show, Royal Stanza, in Paris at Galerie Isabelle Gounod (which represents him in France) just last year.
PHOTOGRAPHY JASPER YU / ART DIRECTION KIM WONG / HAIR & GROOMING CHRISTIAN MARANION/27A.
