In her first-ever solo exhibition Dog Days, emerging artist Ping has chosen to depict instances of peculiar canine behaviour that she’s observed in her own dog as a way of exploring what ‘strangeness’ means. This new body of work consists of sculptures and paintings that capture the black dog in ordinary moments, offering an alternative perspective on what humans may perceive as ‘strange’ behaviour. For the artist, the black dog represents many things, and each individual idea that it stands for is no less valid or valuable for it. She writes, “There is the black dog, a metaphor for depression, that I first came across in a medical pamphlet; then, the black dog—the actual, living, breathing companion, who greets me when I get home; and also, the black “dogs”, that each took me weeks and weeks to knead and shape into being, a lesson of patience.”
Curated by Studio Sayang and supported by HARTA, the exhibition seeks to loosen the stigmas surrounding mental health by using the familiarity of the black dog as a symbol for depression. In doing so, the exhibition hopes to create a bridge between the experiences one might not have and the desire to understand them.
Ping began studying fine art in 2020 after shifting from her previous job in accounting and finance, and has since graduated from The One Academy with a Diploma in Fine Arts. Since then, Ping was a finalist of the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award (MEAA) in 2022, as well as the Asia Art Futures Award in 2023.
An accordion-style art book by Studio Sayang and A Space In Place accompanies the exhibition, and will be available for sale at HARTA.
Talks related to the themes of Dog Days will be scheduled each weekend throughout the duration of the exhibition.
Dog Days
A solo exhibition by Ping
Dates: 2 August 2024 – 20 August 2024
Venue: HARTA, Level 1, Lot 93-95 Lorong Memanda 2, 68000 Ampang, Selangor
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10AM – 5PM. Admission is free.