Ruoyu Gong (b. 1999 Beijing, China) is currently an illustration senior at Rhode Island School of Design. Studying abroad from a young age, he reflects upon external influences in different environments through the lens of his cultural background. Through his works, Ruoyu explores the unresolved tensions between his cultural identity and assimilation by creating visual conundrums imbued with humor. Oscillating between enigmatic absurdity and comprehensible reality, his paintings materialize the sense of foreignness within familiar customs.
Humor becomes an ironic coping mechanism to grapple with the feeling of fragmented identity. Academically trained in oil painting and inspired by Surrealist artworks, he implements classical techniques, situating Asian identity in a genre that has often marginalized people of color. The dialogue between the figures and the occupied space reveals the underlying tensions within these dream-like arenas.