Norris Yim paints abstract portraits that represent the complex inner lives of people living in the present day, and the pain and beauty of people living in the present day as seen through the eyes of an artist who continues to work with the dystopian aspects of contemporary society.
What inspired you to start making art?
As one of the disciplines for self perseverance, I started painting when I was enrolled in the first year of the Environmental and Interior Design course at the university. As my horizons broadened through study and research while in school, I painted various paintings and studied my own style. I then decided to continue painting for the rest of my life, hoping that something would stay with me longer than life itself.
What is the theme of your current work?
I think that in pandering to capitalism and hypocritical living, people have abandoned their original appearance to live, and a new face has come to replace the old one. Even if they put on thick makeup, they forget to become even newer selves because of hypocrisy and fear of life. Based on this feeling, I created a series of abstract portraits that express the pity and sadness of society. These abstract pigments represent the dark side of me and my moods that form the basis of my work.
Destruction of Dark Chaotic, 2021 W 60 x H 60 x D 1.6 cm
Click here for the artwork detail
3. What are your influences, and what do you consider to be the turning points for you?
My turning point was my encounter with the work and techniques of Willem de Kooning. I came across Willem de Kooning's work while researching a documentary on the master. From his painting techniques, I learned "strength", "thoughtlessness", and "freedom". I would like to try to do these things abstractly in a free way, rather than intentionally. As a result, in the process of painting I try to and can paint without drafts.
Nameless 3321" (2021) W 70 x H 90 x D 1.8 cm
Click here for the artwork detail
What is the meaning behind the abstraction of the human figure? What is the process of abstraction?
The color palette shows the irony between beauty and pain. In other words, it means the pain and stress we are under. Memory loss, confusion, unbalanced lives. When we see, but cannot see. Unimaginative thinking, living without a soul. The more we multi-task, the less clear the details become, especially in our memories of faces and inner life, even when the outlines are clear. This picture represents the process of forgetting and thoughts that are just out of reach. "There is a face in front of me, but I can't pinpoint what it is." That's the feeling I'm describing. Regarding the process of abstraction, I like to start out by pouring in the colors I've chosen on the spot and creating texture with a palette knife. The playfulness and freedom in this process brings me a sense of satisfaction. I then use a mixing palette to layer the textures to create the depth of the portrait. Finally, I use a cake tube to create a unique texture and emphasize the sharpness of details such as the ears and neck.
《Nameless - Silver on Silver I》(2021) W 30 x H 40 x D 1.6 cm
Click here for the artwork detail
I think there are two types of abstraction: violent and violent strokes and gentle and soft strokes. What is the difference between them? What is the meaning of these differences in your own worldview and expression?
In the previous style, the colors appear more intense and neon-like, which paradoxically represents the darkness of the painting's atmosphere. I also think that the paler tone of the colors represents a change of heart due to the influence of a crazy society. These two strokes reflect the emotions of the moment. Both represent my darkness, but the darker the color of our faces, the more it signifies the suffering we are going through. Previous version - Darkness & negativity Recent version - Joy & Positivity We are facing more and more suffering in our lives, in which love is more important and necessary to support others.
Nameless 0220 (2021) W 60 x H 75 x D 2 cm Sold out
《Nameless 5421》(2021) W 50 x H 60 x D 1.6 cm
Click here for the artwork detail
The title "Nameless" suggests a connection to the "anonymity" of the Internet society. What do you think is the value, meaning, or problem of people becoming Nameless in today's society?
Nameless, in my opinion, is the key word about uncredited heroes, in the sense that many people are protecting and improving the world without anyone knowing about it. The value of Nameless lies in human betterment. It means that people no longer care about being famous, trendy, reputable, powerful, or rich (these are the main reasons why people go from bad to immoral, as in the case of marketing in the Holocaust). (These are the main reasons why people go from bad to immoral, as in the case of marketing in the Holocaust. Nameless = escapism, i.e., "Who are we? "Who made us do it?" This is connected to the question, "Who are we? To be Nameless, in other words, means that one needs to cultivate one's own conclusions in order to be unique, with one's own belief system, in order to preserve one's soul. Being Nameless means, in other words, that one needs to cultivate one's own conclusions in order to preserve one's soul, to be unique with one's own belief system. "No name, no country, no boundaries are key words for a better world. However, as various events have shown, Nameless is too vulnerable and in the minority to change the world, so it ended up being repelled by the powers that be.
《Aladdin Sane》(2021) W 70 x H 90 x D 2 cm
Click here for the artwork detail
Do you have any ideas for your next work that you would like to realize?
Of course I have, lol. In my recent work, I was able to create brushstrokes in acrylic like a puzzle, and then paste them onto the canvas using real paint like a collage. I would also like to dabble in sculpture, which I hope to achieve by the end of this year.
Norris Yim
Concept
Amnesia, confusion, and an unbalanced life. To see or not to see. Unimaginative thinking, soulless living. The more we multitask, the less defined the details become, especially in face and inner memory, even if the outlines are clear. This picture represents the process of forgetting and thoughts that are just out of reach." There is a face in front of me, but I can't pinpoint what it is."
Career
Norris Yim is a self-taught painter, born and raised in Hong Kong. He studied at Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Design (Environment and Interiors). He uses mixed paint to make portraits/abstracts more poetic by putting solitude in them. Use different colors to make abstract paintings (portrait most). Those abstract pigments represent my current emotions and moods, which form the basis of my work. Painting is purely a means of self-expression, a process of transforming my observations of others and internalizing them as creative inspiration. I seek my own spiritual satisfaction in poetry. Self-expression is often tinged with loneliness. Observation. Memory. Imagination. These are the principle aspects of my work. Ultimately, it is only through color that I fulfill my ambition to create more inspiration.
The works introduced here are available at TRiCERA.
