All that I see, all that I wonder

All that I see, all that I wonder, is a new work by Ron Siu experimenting with the intersections between print media and animation. Through a series of hand-printed phenakistoscopes (circular devices that were an early analogue form of looping animation), Siu considers their cyclical nature as space for meditations on change, intuition, emotions and magic.

The notion of poetic looping gestures draws inspiration from the “Star Gauge“, a densely complex, 4th-century Chinese love poem formed entirely from palindromes. Intrigued by the idea of “magical palindromes”, whose multidirectional incantations hold mysterious sentiments, Siu explores a similar vein visually. While the phenakistoscopes are not entirely palindromic, combining print’s materiality with animation’s hypnotism evokes their own kind of intimately personal, magical rhythm.

Siu’s practice incorporates painting, printmaking and animation elements to explore contemporary themes around Queer desire and fantasy. His work is informed by Western and Asian art historical canons, decorative art movements, and mythology influences; alongside more contemporary pop sources such as gay-themed Japanese graphic romance novels, video games and supernatural horror. By connecting seemingly disparate cross-cultural threads, Siu aims to express a contemporary sense of Queer imagination.

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Ron Siu is an artist currently based in Tkaronto/Toronto, Canada. He graduated with his BFA in Drawing & Painting at OCAD University in 2019. Working expansively in painting and print media approaches, Siu’s practice explores themes around Queer desire and fantasy. His work has been shown in exhibitions across Canada and internationally in Scotland and Germany. Siu has also participated in multiple residencies, including being an artist-in-residence at Centre[3] in Hamilton and Atelier Circulaire in Montreal.

An image list is available here.