Juxtapoz Magazine - Interior Motives: Koak, Ding Shilun and Cece Philips @ Hauser & Wirth, London

"Depicting figures in dreamlike domestic interiors, Koak's painting practice questions the societal expectations and roles of women within the home as well as the traditional portrayal of women by male artists. With a graphic aesthetic that borrows from Japanese and European animations, Koak uses familiar iconography of the home-windows, soft furnishings, flowerpots and vases-to build alternate interiors in which her figures are liberated and given agency."

"Enter interior worlds imagined by contemporary painters Koak, Ding Shilun and Cece Philips this summer at Hauser & Wirth London. The exhibition explores how these artists engage with the interior both as a physical space and a psychological construct. Through distinct painterly vocabularies, each artist interrogates the architectural and domestic environments we inhabit, revealing how these frameworks shape our sense of self, memory and belonging."

"Inhabiting imaginary worlds, the characters in Ding Shilun's paintings are often an embodiment of the artist himself, the emotions he feels and the thoughts inside his mind. His worldbuilding relies on everyday objects found in domestic spaces to enable viewers to identify with the characters depicted and emotions evoked. With a style inspired by Japanese manga and traditional Chinese painting, the artist's interiors include fantastical and mythological elements that question viewer's"

Interior Motives at Hauser & Wirth London features Koak, Ding Shilun and Cece Philips exploring interiors as both physical spaces and psychological constructs. Each artist uses distinct painterly vocabularies to interrogate architectural and domestic environments and how those frameworks shape identity, memory and belonging. Koak depicts dreamlike domestic scenes that question societal expectations of women and employ animation-derived iconography to grant agency to her figures. Ding Shilun creates imaginary worlds using everyday domestic objects and a blend of manga and traditional painting, introducing fantastical and mythological elements. The programme supports emerging and mid-career artists through collaborative partnerships.

Read at Juxtapoz