These three paintings chart the restlessness of contemporary life. Through enigmatic imagery that moves from the mysteries of the road to the shifting currents of history, they evoke destinations uncertain, futures unknown, and the continual reappearance of the past. Spanning multiple generations, the painters use their medium not merely to depict the world, but to reveal its hidden tensions.
Hung Liu’s solitary figure trudges into a fog of ghostlike rings, conjuring the isolation of laborers, migrants, and refugees—individuals displaced by history and adrift between worlds. Matthew Wong’s dreamlike landscape reflects his attempts to capture the “quick flashes of imagery” that appear in his thoughts, shaped by idle moments daydreaming, listening to music, or walking with “no destination or purpose in mind.” Ida Applebroog’s multipart painting draws from disparate historical events, inviting viewers to navigate an open-ended field of stories. Together, these vibrant pictures summon a world of unforeseen turns and uneasy consequences.
Organized by Stuart Comer, The Lonti Ebers Chief Curator, Department of Media and Performance, and Lydia Mullin, Manager, Collection Galleries, Department of Curatorial Affairs with Abby Hermosilla, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Curatorial Affairs
