Ping Ping

When we see the artworks made by Ping Ping, we can immediately spot the bright color and feel the joy in it. Then, we heard his story behind each of the paintings and it made us realize that a little daily problem is a result of a big human ego. Before October 10th, come to Maya Sanur and listen to the story yourself so you will understand more.
How did your painting journey begin?
Ever since I was a child, when I was in school, I was always good at art and didn’t do well in other subjects. This went on until high school and to higher education. During my studies, I got a lot of support from my teachers. One teacher even told me that I have to be an artist when I grow up. That really boosted my confidence. Fast forward after high school, I only applied to one University which had an art major. There were a lot of ups and down during my college years. I failed many courses except art and then I stopped going to classes for about two months. However, I regained my strength through my lecturer and family. Using that support, I managed to stand out from the others. Even many of my colleagues gave up art and got jobs in other fields.
When was your first exhibition?
It was in 2009. I did an exhibition with eight of my friends in a group called ‘PENA’ which is now disbanded. It was also the first time that I sold a painting to someone. Little did I know that he was a big thing in the art world. He came from Netherland and went back to his country with my paintings. From that time, my painting have been touring around Europe. They even got into a big event called Art Basel. I got a lot of money from painting at that time. Sadly, it shifted my direction of being an artist from art creation into money making. Then In 2013, I stopped making art, totally, because I got mad at myself. In 2015, I tried to paint again but this time it was purely for art and not money.
What is the concept of your painting?
Each of my paintings tells a story. I turn stories of my everyday problems into paintings with simple techniques and colors. My friends say that my painting is satire and can be offensive. They just haven’t heard the stories from my point of view. I never ever meant to criticize other people through my art. It was all just about me, a critic to me and how I live this life.
About your painting in Maya Sanur exhibition?
I have three paintings hanging on Maya Sanur’s gallery wall which are a series of paintings of a man with a facemask on. It was inspired by my two sisters whom I’m really close to. They keep making me put the facemask on my face. It then generated an idea for my artwork. Why would men rarely expose themselves doing a beauty routine? It’s now time for people to realize that men also need emancipation. [I like that. Ed.]