Fantastical, Elemental Hybrids Persevere in Jon Ching’s Metaphysical Paintings
Inspired by his island upbringing on O’ahu, Hawai’i, Ching turns to nature as a boundless source of wonder and solace. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Fantastical, Elemental Hybrids Persevere in Jon Ching’s Metaphysical Paintings appeared first on Colossal .
Jon Ching, a Los Angeles-based artist known for his fantastical paintings of hybrid flora and fauna, creates vibrant and meticulously detailed canvases that channel the otherworldly. Inspired by his Hawaiian upbringing, Ching merges elemental energies with the personalities of mammals, birds, and marine life, resulting in a unique style of metaphysical art.
His forthcoming solo exhibition, Path of Least Resistance at KP Projects, features recent portraits of owls, hummingbirds, fish, orchids, and more, reflecting both socio-political realities and personal challenges.
Ching's paintings often incorporate symbolic tributes to power and resilience, such as rocks representing stability and water symbolizing wisdom and finding ways around obstacles. In his collection, the different stages of the common dandelion represent the passage of time, while a floral-headed cockatoo gripping a wisp of smoke in "Thin Air" nods to nature's transience and human-induced habitat loss.
Other works in the exhibition, like "Force of Nature," feature a flaming shark and reference the sixth chakra of the body according to Hindu yogic philosophy.
In "1984," Ching takes a nod to George Orwell's dystopian novel by depicting eyes peering out from tropical flowers, reflecting themes of nonstop surveillance and privacy concerns. The artist distills larger ideas into simpler, purer forms, allowing the work to emerge from personal experiences, emotions, and small moments. "Path of Least Resistance" opens on October 3 and continues through November 7 in Los Angeles.
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