Sin Wai Kin – 'I want people to exist in my world' | Turner Prize Nominee 2022 | Tate

TL;DR

Through speculative fiction and character creation, artist Sinway Keen aims to provide a new perspective for viewers to reflect on and understand their own lives.

Transcript

the universe that I'm creating with my practice is really meant to act as a mirror in the same way that every character that I'm trying to create is a reflection or a site for people to see themselves my name is sinway Keen I'm an artist using speculative fiction to deconstruct and reconstruct social narratives in my practice I think the characters... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Characters and their relationships are just as important as the universe in Keen's artwork.
• 🛟 Science fiction and speculative fiction serve as major influences on Keen's practice.
• 💦 Keen's work challenges binary narratives and explores personal relationships through a lens of fantasy and drag.
• 🛟 Writing and drawing are integral to Keen's creative process, helping bring their stories and characters to life.
• 💦 The editing process is where Keen's work truly takes form and becomes a distinct piece.
• 😒 Keen uses a boy band as a medium to explore the construction of identities and desires within capitalism.
• 💦 Keen aims to immerse viewers in their work and provide a new perspective on the world around them.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Sinway Keen use speculative fiction in their artwork?

Keen uses speculative fiction to create other worlds and fantasies that viewers can relate to and work towards making a reality. This allows for exploration of deeper topics and themes.

Q: What is the significance of embodying and disembodying in Keen's work?

Keen uses embodying and disembodying as a process to separate personal desires from societal expectations. It allows for the unpicking of personal relationships with Western femininity and other binaries.

Q: What role does writing and drawing play in Keen's storytelling process?

Writing and drawing are essential tools for Keen's storytelling process. While writing helps establish themes and through lines, drawing is used for character sketches and visualizing the narrative.

Q: How does the editing process contribute to Keen's artwork?

The editing process is where Keen sees their work truly come to life. It is in post-production that the work takes its final form, with sound elements adding a new dimension to the narrative.

Key Insights:

• Characters and their relationships are just as important as the universe in Keen's artwork.
• Science fiction and speculative fiction serve as major influences on Keen's practice.
• Keen's work challenges binary narratives and explores personal relationships through a lens of fantasy and drag.
• Writing and drawing are integral to Keen's creative process, helping bring their stories and characters to life.
• The editing process is where Keen's work truly takes form and becomes a distinct piece.
• Keen uses a boy band as a medium to explore the construction of identities and desires within capitalism.
• Keen aims to immerse viewers in their work and provide a new perspective on the world around them.
• The ultimate goal of Keen's art is for viewers to reflect on their own lives and experiences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Sinway Keen's art practice focuses on creating characters and a universe that act as mirrors for viewers to see themselves and their social narratives.

• Influenced by science fiction and philosophy, Keen uses fantasy and allegory to explore the concept of existence in a constantly changing world.

• Keen's work involves embodying and disembodying Western femininity to examine personal relationships and binary narratives, which are then abstracted to be universally relatable.