Ataraxy, Ruben Pang's fifth solo exhibition, extracts creative energy from disarray and entropy, thus realising the state of tranquility the term implies. In each painting, various artistic personalities find themselves in psychodramatic scenarios with their subconscious drives personified through figures in constant change, sometimes playing host to parasitic vegetation, other times surgically reconfigured and twisted into conversations with one another and their surroundings.
This series develops on Pang's interest in the introspective creative process. The paintings portray creators in the midst of contemplation, decision making, and other obstacles; for example, the compulsive method actor juggling various states of mind in Holding it Together. In Building the Triad, three musicians trample and contort around each other and a tuning fork, searching for that elusive plum that borders dissonance and harmony. Passenger presents a listless figure in the heterotopic state found between sleep and waking, projecting its dream scenario into the surrounding environment. Using a combination of oil and acrylic on aluminum composite panel, Pang seeks to optimise the strength of each material – acrylic to quickly explore compositions, and oil to create atmosphere and complete each piece.
Pang finds affinities and luminaries in both historical and fictional artists, these works attempt to connect the dots and unravel the underlying significance of and between the subjects he consistently finds himself drawn to. In this sense, Ataraxy can be considered a collection of annotations in which the artist finds sanctuary.
