Five Questions with Malaysia-based Artist Karwai Chan

Pop culture is heavily featured in your art. Is there a reason why?

Pop culture is a reflection of our current times and what’s trending in society. I often find that integrating this through the use of icons and characters makes my pieces more relatable to the audience. They become more than just details on a portrait, adding a layer of realism to the narrative in my works.

Which pop culture subject has been your personal favourite to work on?

I find myself drawing inspiration from Wonder Woman as an icon of female empowerment. She represents many elements in the modern woman that I admire, inner virtues like strength in adversity, confidence, and perseverance. In my artwork Man Wonder Woman, I decided to cover her face with a plastic bag. In doing so, I wanted to convey the message of not judging a book by its cover. Look beyond appearances and recognise the inner beauty within. As a female artist, these are themes that I relate to and hope to share through my art.

Your art also explores powerful themes and emotions. For example, strength and resilience in Superheroes: Redefined, and the post-pandemic mood in Cupid Rhapsody: Way Back To Love. Why do you think it is important to highlight these feelings in your work?

In my opinion, the most powerful effect of art is its ability to tap into human emotions through storytelling. It is the harmonious coming together of technique, concept and colours — among many other small components — to tell a story on a canvas. The most successful artworks will almost certainly bring about an emotional response, and it is our role as artists to use tangible components to create and evoke that intangible quality.

Which artists have influenced your work?

I find that there is always something to learn from the trailblazers that have led the way. One artist that has inspired me greatly for the Cupid series is Banksy. I appreciate the humour that is brought about in seemingly unexpected ways, often through the use of pop icons and references that are not the most apparent. That creates an element of surprise for the viewers, which keeps the experience interesting. The Cupids in my artworks draw upon the same inspiration and hopefully expresses my take on that desired effect.

How do you see your work evolving in the future?

As an artist, we always have to strike a balance between keeping our identity and experimenting with new themes to challenge ourselves. I am a big supercar and motor racing fan, so I do hope for another opportunity to work on a supercar project, like when I partnered with McLaren to paint “Ride Every Wave” on an actual car in 2022. Perhaps this time with a totally different concept, which is exciting to see how the final artwork can evolve.