Wong Ping really knows how to light up a room. His neon-bright, saccharine-sweet animations with otherworldly characters naturally break dimensional barriers. Sometimes they get eaten by bugs; other times they fall victim to the pitfalls of owning an obsolete porn collection.

Born in 1984, Wong studied media design in Australia before picking up animation software on the side while working at a day job in Hong Kong. During the day, he’d put in his hours and then spend the night making movies in his bedroom. That bedroom operation would eventually become the Wong Ping Animation Lab.

Wong’s stories address taboo topics like shame, sex, retribution, and desire through the lens of a saccharine-sweet, candy-coated shell of color. Sometimes, his surreal stories spill out of the frame and into the real world.

“I’m not that interested in animation, actually,” Ping told M Magazine in a video interview in 2023. “I seldom watch animation movies. It’s just that animation is a means for me to express everything inside my head.”

Fables 1 is one of many works that provide a look into Ping’s brain. It’s a series of warped morality tales starring anthropomorphic animals. Through patterns reminiscent of Windows 95 screensavers and interconnected comic-book panels, Ping presents three disparate tales in which an intellectual elephant suddenly develops a second sight; a cop accidentally murders his entire family; and a long-bus passenger is tasked with facing his biggest fears.

With its radiant energy, vibrant colors, and sharp juxtapositions, Ping says around 60% of his work reflects his upbringing in Hong Kong and the country’s tumultuous history.

Source link