8 Questions with Ruocong Ma - ORIGINAL issue
Ruocong Ma is a chinese Transdisciplinary artist artist featured in Al-Tiba9 magazine
Ruocong was born in Guangdong, China, in 1997, Ruocong Ma has lived in Beijing, New York, and London. Currently, she is a student of the MA sculpture department at the Royal College of Art. Ruocong Ma examines the contradiction and correlation of spiritual strength, human body, sexual representation, and feminism in our society, working on oil painting, performance, and sculpture. Her work is primarily concerned with the tension of flesh and instinctive desire. Her erotic portrait painting work often employs domineering poses, vivid colors, creative lighting, and tight costume as symbolism for implying audiences about complex class power.
Ruocong Ma has exhibited in group shows internationally since 2016, including in LaMa Gallery, New York; Black Bird Gallery, New York; SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York.
Interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj.
Net, Photo courtesy Ruocong Ma©
What kind of education or training helped you develop your skillset?
I have received education in painting and sculpture at art schools in New York and London during the past five years. Technical guidance and train of thought are both indispensables in education. Before receiving education, I already had a vague prototype of my work. Under the guidance of professors, I get closer to what I genuinely want to create. Schools, professors, and classmates are just there to help me perfect my art. It is a permanent cycle. Once, a professor named Nancy Chunn told us that 'An artist can never love his work.' I sincerely believed it. Valuable education is a process of evolving from the outside to oneself, from learning from others to self-flagellation.
How would you define yourself as an artist?
Generally speaking, I would define myself as an emerging Asian female artist. My work can be summarized in three words: female, obsession, and life. The powerful feminine pose in my painting emphasizes the resistance to the male gaze. Beyond that, I pursue the beauty of desire and brutalization. I am currently focusing on oil painting, but I expect to find my artistic language in performance art and experimental images in the future.
Is there a piece you consider a "breakthrough" in your work, in terms of approach or subject matter?
The work Pink Lady created in the spring of 2019 was a significant breakthrough in my painting process. It was a time when I was experiencing a dilemma of whether to give up figurative painting. Few of my peers insist on figurative painting. We discussed "whether the figurative painting has become incapable of satisfying the contemporary art" for a long time. And my attempts at abstract painting didn't yield satisfactory works. When Pink Lady was finished, I affirmed my insistence on figurative art. The contrast of the intense light and the oppressive female posture in the painting reached an ideal level. After this painting, I no longer ponder between figurative and abstract art, which expresses deeper emotions or is more suitable for the current artistic context.
Pink Lady, Photo courtesy Ruocong Ma©
Where did you get your imagery from? What sources did you use?
My inspiration comes from my fantasies about light, female bodies, and costumes. I tend to ask those among my acquaintances who attract me, or those who have a unique temperament to be my model. Sometimes I also act as my model. I can't accept computer modeling. The flesh is a carrier of emotions, love, and life itself. The most important thing is the kind of human feelings in it. Sometimes, Compared with painting, it takes more time to prepare a proper reference in the perfect light and setting.
What is your creative process like?
The first step is to draw a rough draft of the original fantasy in your mind. The background is not the key to my painting, so it's a matter of tone selection and adjustment. Then I will take the corresponding photos of the model. After that, I will adjust the contrast and saturation of reference in the computer or the painting process. These are the necessary steps before I finally start painting.
What do you hope that the public takes away from your work?
At the realistic level, the external feedback is critical. The commercial value recognition has a positive influence on my artistic career from the audience and the curator. Personally speaking, I am inclined to make the public feel my aesthetics in my works. Different people feel differently towards the depth and the intrinsic value of the work. However, an artist's aesthetic theory should be direct. To inspire others' philosophical thoughts on beauty and desire through art is the thing I pursue.
Rose Lady, Photo courtesy Ruocong Ma©
Any shows, galleries, or publications where our readers can find your work?
In New York, I was honored to attend several group exhibitions, including the Out There at Blackbird Gallery, When Black Swallows Red at La MaMa Gallery, and Light at SVA Chelsea Gallery. These galleries should keep the information about the show on their official website. Besides, Most of my work is displayed on my website, here is https://www.ruocongma.com/.
What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future?
Recently, While working hard on improving my oil painting, I'm trying to combine my painting with experimental images. I am also eager to produce more works of performances and anticipate that my body can be a part of my art. After completing academic studies, I plan to develop myself into an independent transdisciplinary artist in Europe or the United States.
