Event
bitter melons / bitter pills
Joe Bun Keo
Real Art Ways presents a solo exhibition of recent work by 2021 Real Art Award recipient Joe Bun Keo.
Connecticut-based artist Joe Bun Keo uses found and altered objects to create poetic installations and assemblages. His recent work is informed by personal experiences with mental health, debt, and Khmer (Cambodian) – American identity. In bitter melons / bitter pills, the artist presents a new body of work that focuses on sentimental, cultural and utilitarian values within the discussion of materiality and identity.
Download a PDF of the show publication HERE. Featuring an essay by artist and scholar Sokunthary Svay.
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About the Artist:
Joe Bun Keo (b. 1987) is a Khmer (Cambodian) – American artist living and working in Connecticut. His work “unpacks intergenerational trauma through the scope of ‘neomaterialism’ and the concept of ‘power objects.'”
About the Real Art Awards:
The Real Art Awards is an annual opportunity for emerging artists living in New England, New Jersey, or New York. The open call, offered with no entry fees to artists, attracts hundreds of applicants each year, of which 6 artists are chosen. Selected artists receive a solo exhibition, with a commissioned essay, professional documentation, and a cash prize of $2,500. The 2021 Real Art Awards was juried by artist and writer Kameelah Janan Rasheed; Hasan Elahi, artist and Director of the School of Art at George Mason University; and Real Art Ways Executive Director Will K. Wilkins. The 2021 Real Art Awards is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Photo Credit: John Groo
