Spotlight

Spotlight artist John Hui

Championed by Trino Verkade
The Wick Culture - Capitalism works for me LOL (the Game)
Above  Capitalism works for me LOL (the Game)
ONES TO
WATCH
ONES TO
WATCH
The Wick Culture - John Hui portrait
© Joe Rigby, courtesy of the Sarabande Foundation
Above  John Hui portrait © Joe Rigby, courtesy of the Sarabande Foundation
Interview
John Hui
Photography
Joe Rigby
02 October 2024
Interview
John Hui
Photography
Joe Rigby
02 October 2024
“I’ve always been drawn to things that seem logical but are completely absurd and nonsensical”, says artist John Hui. Hui – whose work can be found currently in the Saatchi Gallery at FOCUS Art Fair – is a painter, for the most part, creating searing satirical responses to the chaotic capitalist world. Surreal and distorted bodies in a giddy array of colours collide with texts that poke fun at glib absurdities of the contemporary age. He also makes videos and sculptures with a DIY, makeshift effect – his Instagram account reveals the process of making the arcade cabinet he built to present his video game compilation at the Sarabande Foundation’s Group Show in August from scratch (spoiler alert – it’s not as easy as it seems).
Hui was born in 1993 in Hong Kong and grew up in the UK. He graduated from Chelsea College of Art in 2016 and has since had a steady run of exhibitions in London and Hong Kong. Hui draws inspiration for these works from the internet – and from Gen Z’s “nihilistic worldview” which has “made me care less about adhering to traditional economic and social rules and question the way I was taught to exist.”

Hui’s champion for The Wick is Trino Verkade, director of the Sarabande Foundation, where Hui is an artist in residence. “John Hui’s work is bold and accessible and it invites the audience in quickly, encouraging them to consume it. I feel like his work is a mirror on the world we live in, but it’s presented in a way that is engaging and disturbing in equal measures. John isn’t from a traditional art background so the energy in his work is raw and guttural. This allows him to question the industry itself.” This week, alongside Frieze and PAD, Verkade is running Sarabande’s collaboration with the Mount Street Neighbourhood Arts Festival. Their concept store, House of Bandits in Mayfair, showcases and celebrates the exceptional talent of its artists at 5 Carlos Place, open until 12 October.

Verkade recalls the work Hui exhibited at the Sarabande Foundation’s summer Group Show, titled Capitalism works for me LOL (the Game). “It was totally addictive. Built like an old school arcade game, it made the audience part of the art piece. And it managed to connect with each member of the audience in a different way. John’s work is both personal and global, he considers world issues, and there seems to be no end to the material he can use to highlight the perceptions we have of ourselves.”

Hui concurs that Capitalism Works for Me LOL (The Game) was a pivotal work. “It has been my most rewarding creative experience and that’s an achievement for me. The project took eight months of constant work, involving creative writing, graphic design, UX/UI design, character, and sound design. I managed a team of developers, writers, and artists, coordinating every aspect. It consumed my life but was immensely fulfilling.”

The work, Hui adds, “encapsulates who I am as an artist, a fashion content creator, a working-class gay Asian individual who grew up in the UK. For the first time, I have integrated all facets of my life into these works. It’s incredibly challenging because identity is in constant flux when closely examined. I’m still uncertain if these labels truly define me, but each work brings me closer to understanding myself a bit more. There are no words to describe how it feels; it’s like giving birth to a piece of yourself.”

About the champion

The Wick Culture - Photo by Sølve Sundsbø

Trino Verkade is the Director of the Sarabande Foundation. She was Managing Director, Licensing Director, Director of Store Planning and special projects at Alexander McQueen from 1994-2012. Trino negotiated the Givenchy agreement and the Gucci Group acquisition. She also oversaw and managed Savage Beauty, the retrospective of Alexander McQueen’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Following her time at Alexander McQueen, Trino was president for Thom Browne New York and CEO at Mary Katrantzou. She was the driving force behind the establishment of the Sarabande Foundation and its permanent space in Haggerston, and returned to run the Foundation in 2016. 

As well as leading the Foundation day-to-day, Trino advises its alumni on business and development matters, forges relationships with the best in the industry to mentor and participate in its world-leading public talks, and has developed a patrons and sponsorship programme to ensure the longevity of the Foundation’s work. Trino has overseen the set up of Sarabande’s newest studios in Tottenham and a permanent space for House of Bandits, the Foundation’s gallery and concept store. 

“John Hui’s work is bold and accessible and it invites the audience in quickly, encouraging them to consume it.”

Trino Verkade

Artist Fact File

Place of Birth

Hong Kong

Education

BA in Fine Art with Honours from Chelsea College of Arts, London

Awards, Accolades

Current artist-in-residence at the Sarabande Foundation

Recent Exhibitions

A Place, Sarabande Foundation, London, 1st – 16th August 2024
Up to No Good, Bold Mellon, London, 4 th– 27th April 2024

Spiritual Guides & Mentors

Gary Card, Moin Roberts-Islam & Brainrot videos (all-time favs: slime ASMRs & pet grooming vids

Advice for a Future Spotlight?

Create works that you love and are passionate about, not what you think others want to see.


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