Chelsea Kee Yii Wong
‘Visitation from a march of curious insects’ 2025. Black fine line pen, colour pencil on white 200 gsm paper, 3 panels: 59.4cm x 42cm, 23cm x 23cm, 23cm x 23cm.
Artist statement
The grotesque, the ugly, and the disgusting are concepts of 'otherness' that lie apart from the self. It creates 'a cognitive dissonance' and when we encounter it, we are confronted with our monsters — our fears, desires, and fantasies.
These monsters disrupt the ideal image we have of ourselves - an image forged through colonialism, capitalism and contemporary society — as rational and moral beings. However, this encounter with otherness is often subconsciously and actively sought. Through altered states such as hypnosis or hallucinogenic experiences, there emerges a desire to transcend the boundaries of the self. This suggests that the grotesque does not only repel, but also seduces.
Photograph: Anna Kucera
Acknowledgement of Country
ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.
We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
