Rel Pham

Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as an artist.

I started out painting and drawing, around 2008; finding exhibitions or zines or other people to either collaborate or work with. It's gone through many stages from painting Australian landscapes and cultural observations to paintings of video game landscapes. I think that was when I locked into an idea that I've carried with me to this day (and was one of the major inspirations for works such as TEMPLE and CACHE). Simply put I've kind of just spent a lot of time in a room, making images or looking at images. It was around 2018 I started getting into animation and adding movement and dynamic elements; taking advantage of digital mediums to better express what I'm trying to explore. It feels very progressive for me; I love to learn a new technique or tool and last year I was given opportunities to really do some major installation projects.

How has your cultural background influenced your work?

It's created a wealth of aspects for introspection and research. Being mixed race (as well as my dad having immigrated from Vietnam at an early age) created this sort of ambiguous cultural identity which has really put a focus on drawing lines and connections. Whether that's in a contemporary cultural sense - e.g. The idea of ritual in the mundane, or technology as a magic. Cultural authenticity and what that means comes up a lot, not in a racial sense but interrogating the aspects of ourselves that define us - and how much of that is imposed on us, or our choice. My Dad didn't have any family living in Australia, but we did have Chinatown (which is this simulacrum of many Asian countries), but that for us is an "authentic" experience, so I pull from those memories a lot.

How are you celebrating Lunar New Year this year? Do you have a favourite tradition?

My favourite tradition is usually to eat. A lot. My friends and I usually have a big dinner together which is always great fun. My mum is visiting to see the artwork and inflatables, and I've done a big house and studio clean prior to get rid of any bad luck. I will probably try and get amongst it as much as I can this year; I love the intensity and spectacle of Lunar New Year.

What was the inspiration behind the piece you’ve created for Lunar New Year?

I wanted to create this 'living' sort of glass or jade dragon. Much like the statues you'd find in Buddhist stores - my Dad was always copping those and giving them to me. I think there's something very alluring about them - like water frozen in time. There's a vibrant brilliance to a lot of these things that draws me in. I wanted this work to look like this vibrant dream. A huge inspiration for me are all the ornate frames you'll see in ancient Chinese carvings or even the graphic design of medicine packaging, there's a maximalist element to it that fits with my process.

What does your process look like when you’re creating a piece like this?

There's a fair bit of research, looking at classic and contemporary examples of the dragon - for this one I was really interested in understanding what a Vietnamese dragon was as opposed to a Chinese one, etc. and trying to draw conclusions or read as to why they might look different. I draw some rough drafts to start; small illustrations just to get composition or the vibe right. Playing with ideas and scale, seeing what sort of feeling that might evoke. Then there's a lot of learning with 3D programs to get the look I want, creating all the elements (head, claws, body, etc.) - It's not the most romantic idea of art making compared to say; painting but there's something very satisfying about it. It's very back and forth with a lot of trial and error. Finally I get the images/animation and start adding additional effects to further push the tone I'm trying to portrait.