WHON WHON

In the bustling world of urban art, where vivid and bold illustrations are a dime a dozen, the work of 緩緩 (Whon Whon) stands out with its unique blend of understated hues and explosive, trailing strokes that convey a rare and compelling tension. This is not just art; it's a manifesto for slowing down in a fast-paced world.

Whon Whon, whose real name is Huang Qilin, began his artistic journey with oil painting, eventually transitioning to acrylics. His work is a response to the frenetic rhythm of modern life, a plea for both himself and his audience to pause, to reflect, and to engage with life's challenges at a more measured pace. It is this philosophy that inspired his nom de plume, Whon Whon.

"Indeed, we are accustomed to moving swiftly, whether in our emotions or our steps," Whon Whon muses. "Yet, slowing down is not a death sentence, but a chance to breathe." His "Whon Whon Universe" is an ethereal outer space filled with low-saturation colors, where each person carries a wishing meteor within—a meteor that is the embodiment of the soul, its color reflecting the state of the soul: it may be chaotic, it may be low, but it remains true to oneself, cartoonish yet profoundly real.

These realities, as Whon Whon describes, may be rough, anxious, chaotic, but they are a part of us. The world he creates is a space where we can display these emotions without reservation. In this universe, two cartoonish animal characters stand out: Dilo the rabbit with bubble-like ears and Mota the three-eyed bear. These peculiar features are a reflection of the human psyche. Dilo's bubble ears, representing the composition of internal molecules, are a projection of emotions. The more troubles one has, the longer the ears become, prompting us to shed the burdens we carry and to shift our thoughts, halting internal friction.

Mota, with an extra eye, symbolizes an additional choice. "When you see, understand, and know everything, it feels like people become very chaotic, very indignant," Whon Whon notes. In an era of information overload, not everything is worth our digestion or understanding. When bombarded with too much noise, we inevitably become sensitive or lost.

Whon Whon observes the human world in his unique way, picking up the fragments left behind by a cluttered world. He believes that unpredictable emotions are like the elusive atmospheric molecules, shapeless and floating. We are but a speck of dust in the universe, yet each of us carries a cosmos within.

The inflated emotions wash out into a colored negative film, projecting the very image of our daily lives. In a recent collaboration with Zhong Ping Lu Story House, a striking expanse of pink glass stickers set the stage for his solo exhibition. Whon Whon hopes to convey the urgent feeling of the artwork, inviting viewers to slowly enter the world of "Whon Whon."

Seemingly illusory cartoons reflect the most genuine emotions, blending reality and fantasy, color and darkness, into the world of the long-eared rabbit and the three-eyed bear. With lively and adorable animal imagery, he brings a touch of joy, yet also hints at urgency or anxiety through the speed of his brushstrokes and afterimages.

Listen with bubble-like ears,
See with the third eye.

Let us enter this universe, to shout, to empty our minds, to float and drift, slowly.

Whon Whon's art is more than just a visual feast; it is an invitation to a slower, more introspective existence. His work serves as a reminder that in the hustle and bustle of life, there is beauty in pausing, in reflecting, and in embracing the chaos within. Through his "Whon Whon Universe," he offers us a space to slow down, to feel, and to be truly alive.