Q & A with Kean Onn See
1. Tell us about your background. How long have you been making art?
I am largely self-taught. Before I went full time as an artist in 2021, I was working as a web developer.
I came to the art late in life, in my mid 30s. My now husband Wayne, gave me a four-day oil painting class at COFA around 2008. I always joked, after that I knew Ultramarine was not an action figure.
My life changed when I came across a book, “The Woodblock Painting Of Cressida Campbell”. I was spellbound. It completely changes the trajectory of my practice and my life. I was always drawn to Japanese woodblock prints, but that book that inspired me to carve. And I loved it, I knew I had found my medium.
2. Could you describe the process of creating a painted woodblock?
All my works are drawn, carved, and then painted on woodblock.
Every work begins on paper. I arrange, test and interrogate every aspect of the composition at this stage. Once I am satisfied with the image, it is then transferred to a woodblock. Using both traditional and modern engraving tools, the lines of the image are carefully carved to achieve the desired textures.
Finally, the carved woodblock is sanded, before it is lightly painted with at least four layers of acrylic. The goal is to create textures by layering the paints strategically, and at the same time, revealing the natural grain of the woodblock.
The making of 'Chair from the Salvos'
Kean Onn See Chair from the Salvos 2023 Acrylic on carved woodblock, 82.5 x 42.5cm (framed)
$3400 or $340 a month with Art Money
3. Last year you were a finalist in the KAAF Art Prize, National Emerging Artist Prize, Mosman Art Prize & the Sulman Prize. This year you currently have work hanging in the Blake Prize. What have you learnt or gained through these prizes?
It was a rewarding 2023 in the context of the art prizes and to be hung alongside some of the most avant-garde artists in the Blake Prize was a tremendous honour.
Every artist treats prizes differently. I treat art prizes as self imposed assignments with a deadline. The goal is not about winning, it is about elevating my craft. I approached each work with a set of purposes. It could be about putting an idea together, or tackling the skills I am lacking but it was always about self discovery and in the hope by completing each work I could progress further into my practice with a new light.
I have learnt these not just from the art prizes I have been selected but most of all from those that I have not, and there were countless. As long as I have achieved excellence in the work, I am content, regardless of the outcome.
Apart from a nod of recognition from the judges, what I cherish the most are getting to meet my fellow finalists in person or through their works. There is a kinship among us artists. Often we work in solitude, when we get together under mutual admiration we all inspire one another to take our practice further.
4. Do you have a goal that you’re pursuing in your art practice?
Good question. My goals tend to shift at different stages of my practice. As I progress further into my practice my goals have changed from the technical to the more spiritual, I am surprised by this development myself.
I am certain there is a single goal that I am pursuing in my art practice, but I can’t quite define it.
5. What's next for you?
Next is the Sydney Affordable Art Fair in June.
I am very much looking forward to presenting five of my works to the public. They are in many ways a reflection of my art practice in 2023.
I hope many viewers will get up close to examine my carved and painted woodblocks, and the paintings will leave a lasting impression in their hearts and minds.
ENQUIRE about available artwork by Kean Onn See
Kean Onn See, Reminiscence 2023, Acrylic on carved woodblock, 77.5 x 102.5 cm (framed)