Suyang Gong is a visual artist based in New Jersey who works primarily in drawing and painting. She explores the experience of being a second generation immigrant by tracing her family history through family photographs, taking note of both what is and is not communicated. The desire to connect with one’s history and culture paired with the feeling that connecting isn’t possible creates a tension that she unravels in her work.
She graduated Rutgers University with a BFA in Visual Arts in 2021. During her time there, she participated in the undergraduate open show Remaking Histories, where she won an Undergraduate Award. Currently, she helps out at a drawing meet-up group called Jersey Art Meetups, or JAM.
By starting my drawings using techniques that limit my control, such as drawing with my non-dominant hand, modifying my pencil to be uncomfortably long, or simply closing my eyes, I am able to create a weird and wobbly line that is rich for interpretation. The shapes and objects and spaces that this line produces shift wildly as a result of this spontaneous origin. The method is also personally rewarding: the imagery I keep returning to surprises even myself, and the personal significance of the objects is a secret I enjoy keeping.