Transcribing Queer Experiences: Bao-Khang Luu's Art Journey of Parenthood and Creative Unblocking
Minjic Artist Interview | Interview Date Jun 13, 2023 | Interviewed Artist: Bao-Khang Luu
I always find it powerful when people share their truest desires from the heart when they say things like “This has been what I’ve always wanted and we’ve been planning for this.” Such sentiments flooded my conversation with Bao-Khang, leaving a profound impact. Witnessing that unwavering internal passion and determination to create, despite facing challenges, truly left me inspired.
Bao-Khang, an American artist, delves into the reservoirs of sustainability and the LGBTQ+ experience in his creations. As the offspring of a Vietnamese refugee, his roots trace back to a design background, culminating in an MFA from The New School, Parsons School of Design, situated in the vibrant hub of New York City. His artistic journey has encompassed an array of domains, including dance, installation art, interactive technology, and traditional media. Bao-Khang has exhibited his creations extensively across the United States and Switzerland.
During a recent summer interview, Bao-Khang generously offered insights into his life as an artist. He illuminated the delicate balance between nurturing his newborn child and nurturing his burgeoning art career. This dialogue is a poignant reminder of how artistry can flourish even amidst the responsibilities of parenthood.
For those who prefer an auditory experience, the Miracle Stars podcast is readily available on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify Podcasts.
This interview is interviewed by Jamie-May Minjie (JMM)
with artist Bao-Khang Luu (BKL)
Being Vocal with Pride
JMM: I noticed that you are really highly actively showing during this Pride Month. Do you want to talk a little bit about your recent shows such as Pride Is Not A Crime in Oakland, and Gaylien?
BKL: I have been working my butt off on my new series and also developing my older series and possibly doing a new series, which is now showing at the show ‘Gaylien’ at O-Rama Gallery. These series have been around for a while, but I'm glad I'm able to showcase them all at the same time during this month. A lot of galleries have put their faith in me, and I'm glad I've had the chance to show all my work recently.
JMM: Hmm. Wow. So what is this curation? I was typically curious about how the curator titled the show ‘Pride Is Not A Crime.’ How did you respond to this? And have you ever felt being queer is a crime in life?
It feels like every day, pride is a crime. ‘Pride is Not A Crime’ is a show that's important to have so that we are vocal and visible, and we need to stand up for ourselves.
BKL: Yeah, Very…. I wouldn't say I was very surprised, because it's like I do feel every day that pride is a crime, throughout the world and in the US. The US is supposed to be very liberal compared to the rest of the world or some other parts of the world, but it feels like every day that LGBTQIA+ rights are being eroded by groups or politicians. So yeah, it feels like every day, pride is a crime. ‘Pride is Not A Crime’ is a show that's important to have so that we are vocal and visible, and we need to stand up for ourselves.
JMM: I noticed that you were previously living in Switzerland. How was it?
BKL: Yes. Switzerland was amazing, but we moved there during a very strange time. It was right before Covid hit. And we were living in a small village in the Alps. So it was a surreal experience, because you are in this amazing environment. There’s fresh air. You're surrounded by wilderness, and you have amazing views of the Swiss Alps, but you're isolated, because everybody was isolating at that time. Yeah, isolated on a mountain … But I found it amazing! I'm an introvert by nature. So not having to be chained down to social commitments, I was able to just do what I wanted, which was basically start making artwork. That’s what I always wanted to do. And I took French.
JMM: So how did you feel about the transition coming back to San Francisco? And what brought you back to California?
BKL: My husband found a job here, and we needed to start our surrogacy process, because we wanted to start a family. It's just easier if you are in the United States to do this, so that was why we turned back to the US to start our family.
The Dual Dreams: Embracing Parenthood and Artistry
JMM: Speaking of which, do you mind sharing a little bit about your family? How old is the baby?
BKL: Well, he is turning one in a few weeks. So it's been a tough year. It's a big change from being a childless couple to one that includes a very small person running around. Yeah, so having a child really brings things into focus. You have to be more efficient. You have to have more endurance, and you really think about starting to leave a legacy. What is it that you're gonna leave behind, This is a person that you're going to raise. They're gonna leave something behind. You are either going to leave a better world or you are gonna leave a worse world, right?
[Once you have a child], you think about starting to leave a legacy. What is it that you're gonna leave behind, This is a person that you're going to raise. They're gonna leave something behind. You are either going to leave a better world or you are gonna leave a worse world, right?
JMM: Oh, that's a huge responsibility. So are you working from home to have the chance to kind of take care of him?
BKL: Yeah., So, When you're doing surrogacy or adoption… but in our case, surrogacy, you have to plan everything out. The agency that we used, they require that you really have all your ducks in a row and plan. So, one of the things that we planned was that: I would be the primary caretaker. I would be the one watching the baby all day. But my husband has him at night and on the weekends, so I can work then. But yeah, it's quite difficult to balance a career in the arts and childcare at the same time. I can't imagine what it's like for people who have twins. I'm glad I don't have twins. I think I would go crazy.
It’s quite difficult to balance, but I've been able to do it. It takes a lot of work. So all day, just trying to figure out how to take little moments to do a brushstroke here, or do a layer of varnish there. Let it dry and then return to it later. So it really impacts the type of work you can make and process. And then of course, I don’t get to work, really get to do focused work until everybody is going to sleep. So, I am working from eight, nine o'clock at night until three, four, five o'clock in the morning. That's my day.
JMM: Wow. Does that mean that the process has to be interrupted a lot?
BKL: During the day, the process is always interrupted. I expected to be interrupted. So I'm doing housework, house chores, doing whatever I need to do with the baby, making sure that I don't ignore him, because we wanted this baby. We were planning on this baby. Even though my art career and how I'm living now are the dreams that I've always wanted, this baby is also another dream that I've always wanted.
I can’t sacrifice one for the other. It's just that doing and having both is very difficult, but this is what I wanted, so I have to do it.
JMM: Is the baby inspiring you in any certain way with your art?
BKL: Well, it's like the legacy part. I'm doing art, because I want to do it. As an artist—you have the inner drive to create, right? But on top of that, now I want to leave a legacy as well. So this is why I’m trying to push my art career as far as I can go, so I can leave something behind for the baby.It's not just for me. The art is for me, but also for my family.
JMM: So you have a background in marketing and design. You also studied design. As a designer-turned artist, do you want to share a little bit about how you transitioned?
BKL: I'm sure you can relate. This is another thing that you can relate to. In Asian families, the arts, the career in the arts is not something you are encouraged to pursue. But from my earliest memories, I already knew that I was creative.
JMM: How old were you?
BKL: I would say, four.
My dad is quite artistic and creative, so I'm sure he passed on those characteristics. But all four of us—I have three other siblings, we all have quite a creative bent to us. So we have some bit of talent there, but I knew that I had something else that other kids didn't, and I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be an artist. But like I said, Asians and art – the next you have to be what you have to be a lawyer, a doctor, or maybe an engineer.
So I wasn’t encouraged when I was younger. It has been years of pushing this in your head and living these ideals that you work yourself, as a good son or daughter, to be what your parents want you to be, that’s the doctor, the engineer, the lawyer, but you still have the other drive to be creative. So I was like, “You know what? A good compromise would be if I was a designer instead. You can get a job and then also be a doctor. A doctor who is also a designer.” I mean that’s crazy, right? Who does that? I did. I tried to do it.
JMM: So you finished your medical degree?
BKL: No, no, no. I tried to do it. It was disastrous. I did get my design degree. But then, design was really just a compromise with myself. I was compromising myself. I didn't really want to be a designer. This was just so I could please whatever ideal was in my head that I had to be. So it led to a really miserable career path.
It took me quite a number of years after I left my design career to decompress from all that and really process all of that, that was inside of me. Really, after that, I still needed an art coach to unblock myself creatively, because a design education, still creative, is a very specific way of working … Well, to be the artist I wanted to be, I needed to clear some of that away and really understand what it is that I could take away from being a designer, but let it grow, so I can be an artist. I'm still working on it. It was a lot of work over a year of working with this coach. A lot of soul-searching and writing. I had to write three pages a day. I still need to do that, but I have a baby now, so I can’t.
Design education is still creative, but it is a very specific way of working and thinking. To be the artist I wanted to be, I needed to clear some of that away and really understand what it is that I could take away from being a designer, and let it grow, so I can be the artist.
JMM: Well, is it kind of like the artist way of journaling?
BKL: Exactly, exactly! The morning pages helped me a lot, but then of course, you have to think through those thoughts that you have. And then, of course, I'm digging through those thoughts with my art coach, and discussing it, and digging and connecting where those come from and where I can take those thoughts. So much work!
When they said this is going to be painful, I was like, “Painful?! What is this new age stuff? What are you talking about? Talking about unblocking myself creatively, that's not going to be painful.” But you get there, and it's like, Oh, I guess it's kind of painful.
JMM: I’m so curious, what are the biggest takeaways in your discovery? If you don't mind sharing.
BKL: One thing is that I'm a perfectionist. And that gets in the way of everything I concentrate on working hard but not smart. I mean, we Asians know how to work hard. We have a great work ethic, but sometimes you don't need to work all night. Sometimes good is good enough and it's the best thing to do. You don't need to be the best or you don't need to do everything to the best ability.
Another big thing was that I worked so hard because I am trying to catch up, because I decided to be an artist too late in life. But if you work too hard, there's diminishing returns. So there's a limit to how hard you should work, otherwise you have burnout.
JMM: Yeah, yeah… That's a really good reminder. But everybody has their own sacrifices. People who started early had their own sacrifices, too, because it's a painful life to live,…
BKL: As an artist?! Artist’s life is a painful life! (Laugh) Maybe for some artists.
JMM: Yeah! Unless you are privileged. Realistically… financially…
BKL: Yeah. That’s true.
JMM: But at least you’ve saved up and have other careers as your backup – I think!
BKL: Yeah. Our parents are right that it is gonna make our life difficult. Being an artist is difficult.
JMM: It is!
BKL: It is.
JMM: So what made you pursue arts full-time?
BKL: I was still recovering from years of self-abuse – No. (Laughing)
JMM: What?!
BKL: Basically. It was. Nobody else was making me do my career. I was doing it myself. I was out of the house already. I was in my thirties. Like, “who's doing this to me? You! You can change anytime you want.” But you have to be at a certain bringing point before you're ready to transition, so I was basically doing nothing.
So when we were living in the Swiss Alps, there was a gallerist who found out that I was creative, and she said, “You know what, you should make art and submit it to the gallery!”
JMM: You were discovered!
BKL: Yeah. If not for her, I would not be doing this. But it took me around a year, becauseI have invested myself with the idea that I was a designer. And the turning point was when I went into my LinkedIn and changed “designer” to “artist”.
Because I was announcing to the world: “I’m no longer a designer.”
JMM: When was that?
BKL: That was maybe 2020. Really isn’t that far.
JMM: Very recent!
BKL: Yeah. But to announce it to everybody, you have to realize it yourself first. You need to have the confidence to realize it in yourself.
To announce it to everybody, you have to realize it yourself first. You need to have the confidence to realize it in yourself.
JMM: So how do you use art to respond to your queer experience?
BKL: I would switch that around and say that, “how does my experience with being a person influence my art?” Sometimes I deal with the issues facing the LGBTQIA community, but sometimes it's just using our life perspective, allowing us to be open to other possibilities. So it's like I think that being a little bit more open. As LGBTQIA people, we're also open to other ideas like sustainability. Sometimes I would use claimed materials. I don't know if I was not queer, I would see the world the way I see it now, Just seeing possibility.
JMM: You also have a background in sustainable design. Is that correct?
BKL: I have. I got a certificate for Sustainable Entrepreneurship from FIT (Editor’s Footnote: Fashion Institute of Technology). That was a one-year program in sustainability and how to use it like how to use it in business. So, that has affected my work as well.
At that time, the idea of the sustainability movement – the Green movement – just wasn't working. It's like people are just realizing that when I was doing the course. You have to change up your messaging because people are just getting tired of agreeing on “Let's be sustainable.” You have to change that language to get your message across.
The Les Reconfiguration series is all about sustainability, but I'm not going to use the art piece to ram it into your head. You should appreciate nature because nature is good. You need humanity and you need nature. I'm not going to scream at you to do that, but what I'm going to do is to show you something that's beautiful. And then maybe living with that every day, you'll begin to appreciate it. You just can't, because people have already heard the message for so long. They're not going to listen to it the same way, you have to get to it differently.
The Les Reconfiguration series is all about sustainability, but I'm not going to use the art piece to ram it into your head. You should appreciate nature because nature is good. You need humanity and you need nature. I'm not going to scream at you to do that, but what I'm going to do is to show you something that's beautiful.
JMM: Can you share a little bit more about the creative process? I noticed that you also make your own frames.
BKL: Yeah, I make my own frames. Well, I consider them boxes. The frames are made out of reclaimed wood form a local carpenter and in the village in Switzerland. And then I found this big ginormous wardrobe in the back of the building. That was a lot of wood, that's all I needed to make a bunch of boxes.
My process, at the time, was really informed by the design process that I learned in school when I was with my BFA and MFA.I know how to conduct that type of creative process really thoroughly.
But now I'm kind of shunning all that I've learned. I still use it. It's still great to have it in my toolset, but I don't do intense preparation into researching anything, creating iterations, doing tons of studies and prototypes. I use each piece I'm working on as the learning process and as a research process. Basically learning as I'm going instead of figuring out what it is,
JMM: How about the paintings? Do you usually have a preconceived idea of the composition? How, how does the process go?
BKL: Generally, I do have a general idea of composition when I'm going into a painting. And, generally, where I started off with the Mistral series, I tried to fill up the entire space. And then with the underpainting, I dictate where I placed elements, and then after each layer, it would inform the next elements had to be placed, so, as a series wouldn't go further along, I started coming in with a stronger idea of how I wanted to do things.
There's one I called ‘Mistral 29: 1,000 Breaths’. It's a bunch of little splotches all in a row covering the entire canvas. So that's this type of composition. It's just more of a pattern and texture. So I wanted to explore that. After that, I wanted to just really explore how I could see splotches and make them look like an organism. So it's like they're all centrally located as opposed to the early pieces. So ”Do I come into painting with the idea of composition?” Definitely, I do now.
JMM: Do you think they are somewhat of a manifestation of your current situations in life, your mood, your emotional state?
BKL: At the beginning. At this mistral series. It did not have anything to do with my mental state. It was almost like an academic action or academic study, but as I went further along, I thought, I don't know why I'm painting muted colors or dark tones, so I started really going into brighter colors. That's what I like as a person.
And then I met Brent Hayden of Soft Times Gallery. They're all about bright colors. The way he curates really informed me how I'm viewing color. Now, in the Mistral series, everything is pushed to be brighter and more intense.
I'm an introvert and I feel like I'm a pessimistic person, but, inside, I really love things that are happy. So why would I want to paint something that I don't want to look at every day and makes me feel depressed? The content might be depressing, but the physical form should be bright.
JMM: Yeah. I think it's like a beautiful human behavior that we transcribe and translate some painful experiences into something beautiful.
BKL: Exactly exactly. I couldn't put it in a better way.
JMM: So you talk a lot about how your visual work is an embodiment of the semantic implication, can you give us a few examples?
BKL: What I mean about that is, as I mentioned earlier, my concept and message kind of comes out at the same time, working on something physically. So what I'm actually thinking about are the semiotics behind what I'm making or using. Semiotics is the study of symbols and signs. Each material I'm using means something. And all together, it creates a message.
For my Les Reconfigurations series. I am using everything that's reclaimed, everything that’s from Switzerland, natural materials. And it says something. What does it say? It’s talking about sustainability. I did not go into thinking that I need to make a piece about sustainability. I'm using all these sustainable materials trying to do it in a sustainable way. That's what I mean that the semiotics behind my work is important, because I pull the message out of the meaning of the materials.
The semiotics behind my work is important, because I pull the message out of the meaning of the materials.
JMM: Would you say you were using the same approach when you responded to your current shows, “Pride is Not A Crime” and “Gaylian”?
BKL: Definitely “Gaylian”. They're sustainable clean materials as well, but these are materials that any child can find. It's just like cardboard cellophane or plastic bags that you might find at home, hems from your mother's sewing kit. It’s an exploration of growing up positive and queer. So I can see how people go into the art processing and say, “Is this therapy?” I guess it is therapy.
JMM: Hmm. Well, thank you so much for sharing today. It was awesome having you.
BKL: Thank you for having me. I was hoping you would cry, like what you said when we were drafting the script….
(Chuckles)
(End)
If you want to follow up for more artist talk podcasts, find Miracle Stars by MINJIC on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Podcasts.