Henry Hung Chang’s folkloric works are soft in colour but rich in symbolism

Henry Hung Chang was born and raised in Taiwan, in a temple founded by his grandparents. “As a closeted queer kid, I was puzzled yet fascinated,” he says. Many elements of his strict religious upbringing were difficult, but he was captivated by the folktales prevalent in many East Asian folk religions like his family’s, he tells us. Years later as a painter and illustrator, these mythical stories from his childhood would come to inspire him greatly.

Now living in Brooklyn, New York, Henry makes detailed pencil drawings layered with translucent watercolour and gouache paints. These are soft in colour and texture, but rich with hidden messages and cultural motifs that nod to his personal history and heritage. “The figures in my paintings are often namelessly dressed in masks to embody a range of deities,” he says. “They represent changes and challenges in day-to-day life.” The work is rooted in symbols and myth, but it also explores contemporary social issues and Taiwan’s complex political history through a queer lens. By interpreting the folktales of his childhood, Henry explores how these stories can shape the way we navigate the world. “Myth is a language. It forms the basis of one’s understanding of their reality,” he says.