Interview
Kevin Hu
Kevin Hu is a Chinese-American contemporary artist based in New York City, known for his practice that merges classical technique with contemporary philosophical themes. His work explores the emotional resonance inherent in memory, time, and the human condition in the digital era. Hu received his BA from the prestigious China Academy of Art and his MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). In the mid-90s, he quickly established himself in the New York art scene, founding the Mona Lisa Gallery in the World Trade Center. His art career was tragically interrupted when the gallery was destroyed during the September 11th attacks in 2001. Following this pivot, Hu earned an MBA from New York University and spent nearly two decades in the finance and real estate sectors, including a significant tenure at GMAC focusing on international investment. In 2023, after decades in the business world, Hu powerfully returned to his creative roots, resuming his painting practice. His recent works, including the critically acclaimed Era of the Barcode and the abstract Ocean Air series, have since garnered wide international recognition.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I grew up in the coastal city of Ningbo, China, surrounded by the ocean. I was captivated by its vastness and unpredictability—watching waves crash against the rocks and sand, witnessing the sunrise and sunset over the horizon, and admiring the colorful seashells along the shore. The real spark came when I was seven years old. My grandfather bought me a small box of watercolor paints, and I began painting the sunrise over the sea and sketching fishermen at dawn—not because I wanted to be an artist, but because I was fascinated by how the light touched their nets. My first piece was technically poor, yet my art teacher saw something in it and entered it into a local youth exhibition. That small ribbon—third place—became my turning point. I began studying sketching and landscape painting more seriously.
At 21, I was admitted to the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now the China Academy of Art), one of China’s top institutions for fine arts, consistently ranked among the best nationally and internationally. The entrance exam was highly competitive, with only 31 students admitted nationwide that year. After graduation, I worked as an art editor for a film magazine. In the early 1990s, I received a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in the United States, where I earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. I settled in New York City in 1995 and founded the Mona Lisa Gallery in the lobby of the World Trade Center the following year. The gallery collaborated with museums and Sotheby’s on numerous international exhibitions. However, during a period of great success in my art career, the gallery was tragically destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Amidst uncertainty and painful choices, I accepted an invitation from a close friend—a company CEO—to enter the finance and real estate industry to explore investment opportunities in China.
In 2003, I began pursuing an MBA at New York University and subsequently worked for General Motors Financial Services (GMAC) for nearly 20 years, focusing on international finance and real estate investment and development. I was later sent to China to oversee GMAC’s investment operations. Following the pandemic, I returned to New York. In 2023, after decades in the business world, I returned to art—picking up the paintbrush once again. My works now blend classical techniques with contemporary themes, often exploring the emotional resonance of memory, time, and the modern era. Deeply inspired by the sea, I have created a series of realistic and abstract paintings centered on its spirit and power. My Ocean Air series was selected for ARTBisa 2025 in Budapest, followed by exhibitions at the London Biennale and the Target International Painting Competition in Spain, earning broad international recognition.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My work primarily aims to explore the profound dualities and eternal cycles that define existence. I want my paintings to serve as a philosophical and emotional anchor for the viewer in a complex world. In my Code of Life still lifes, I use the Vanitas tradition—juxtaposing skulls and ripe fruit—to speak to the unavoidable tension between mortality and vitality, urging a deeper appreciation for the transient beauty of life. As for social commentary, yes, it is unavoidable. My Era of the Barcode series is a direct critique of technological alienation and hyper-commodification. I ask: When everything is scanned, sorted, and sold, what remains of the soul? Conversely, my abstract Ocean Air series seeks to reconnect us with the sublime, untamed power of nature, offering an emotional counter-narrative to the technological world. I believe art should not only reflect our reality but also offer a space for necessary transcendence and profound inquiry.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“My process is actually a synthesis of both meticulous planning and necessary improvisation, dictated entirely by the demands of the specific series. For my figurative work, such as the Code of Life still lifes, the process is highly deliberate. These paintings require extensive planning and staging—the careful selection of objects, the lighting setup to control shadows, and detailed preliminary drawings. I need to know precisely where the viewer's eye will land to convey the philosophical tension. The planning ensures the conceptual clarity and control is maintained. Conversely, my abstract series, like Ocean Air, thrives on spontaneous improvisation and intuition. While I approach the canvas with a general mood or color palette, the final piece is largely determined by the physical interaction with the paint—how the layers blend, how the medium reacts to gravity, and the energy of the brushstroke. The ‘planning’ here is more about setting the conditions for a dynamic, emotional reaction, allowing the movement and rhythm of the ocean to emerge organically through the act of painting.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I am closely following three key areas that directly inform my practice. The first is the critical dialogue around Post-Humanism and Technological Critique, which directly informs my Era of the Barcode series—I’m tracking artists who are interrogating how technology and data structures are reducing human experience to metrics. Secondly, I am deeply engaged with the growing trend of Eco-Aesthetics and the New Sublime; my abstract Ocean Air paintings connect with this, using raw, expressive materiality to reflect on the ocean's vast power and its fragility in the face of the environmental crisis. Finally, I observe the enduring importance of Figurative Realism as a means to convey complex narratives and philosophical weight; my Code of Life still lifes fit into this enduring tradition, reaffirming the humanistic value of the Vanitas subject amidst contemporary concerns, especially in contrast to the rapid rise of AI-generated art.”
“My process is actually a synthesis of both meticulous planning and necessary improvisation, dictated entirely by the demands of the specific series.”
What does your art mean to you?
“My materials and techniques are intentionally varied to suit the conceptual demands of each series, allowing me to speak in distinct visual languages. Figurative Series (Code of Life & The Era of the Barcode) For my still life and realist works, I employ the classical technique of oil painting, focusing on deep color saturation and meticulous detail to achieve a sense of hyper-realism. I primarily work on linen canvas or archival wood panels. The process is layered, often beginning with an underpainting (grisaille) to establish form and light—a nod to the Old Masters. I then build up color through thin, careful glazing to achieve the rich luminosity and depth required to make the objects feel physically present and conceptually heavy. Abstract Series (Ocean Air) The technique for my abstract marine paintings is entirely different, prioritizing movement and the expressive nature of the material itself. I use oil and mixed media—often incorporating solvents, cold wax, or pouring mediums—on large-scale canvas. This process is highly physical. I work by laying the canvas flat, utilizing fluid media that are manipulated by tilting the canvas, brushing with large tools, and introducing solvents to encourage textural effects. This technique allows the paint to mimic the organic chaos and powerful rhythm of the sea, translating emotional energy into a physical, textured surface.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“For me, art is not merely a profession; it is my fundamental way of processing and engaging with the world. It is, quite simply, my way of achieving conceptual and emotional coherence. It serves two core functions: First, it's a Tool for Philosophical Inquiry. My art is the means by which I wrestle with the profound questions of existence—mortality, time, and lasting value—the themes in my Code of Life series. The meticulous detail in a skull or a barcode is an act of meditation, translating abstract philosophy into palpable, physical form. Second, it's a Release of Emotional Energy. My abstract Ocean Air series is a vital channel for unfiltered experience. In a world dominated by data, the act of pouring and responding intuitively to the paint is an act of liberation, connecting me to the chaotic, powerful forces of nature that lie beyond human control. Ultimately, art is the practice that keeps me balanced, allowing me to alternate between the controlled critique of the mind and the expressive freedom of the spirit.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“That is a challenging choice, but the one work that deeply resonates with my practice is ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ by Damien Hirst—the shark suspended in formaldehyde. For me, it is the ultimate contemporary Vanitas. Like the skulls in my Code of Life series, the shark is a preserved symbol of death and natural power, forced into a sterile, artificial container. It brilliantly confronts the viewer with the unavoidable reality of mortality—the same philosophical tension I seek to capture. Furthermore, the use of formaldehyde and the industrial display connects directly to my Era of the Barcode series. Hirst critiques how modern society attempts to package, neutralize, and commodify profound experiences. Finally, the piece holds a terrifying, sublime beauty that touches on the themes in my abstract Ocean Air series. The shark represents the raw, overwhelming force of nature—the sublime chaos—that I try to channel through my paint. It’s a powerful intersection of philosophy, material critique, and raw natural force.”
Instagram: @kevinhu.art
