Today we’d like to introduce you to Samson Huang.
Hi Samson, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My life was drastically altered at the age of 9 when my family immigrated from Taiwan to the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the early 1970s. Thrust into a foreign environment and being illiterate of the English language, I felt lost and confused because I lost my ability to interact with and comprehend my new surroundings. I immediately focused on my observational skills along with my skills of depicting images in order to cope with the drastic shock of my new environment. As my English improved, New York City became my playground offering a vast diversity of people and cultures. Every facet of my experiences in NYC fascinated me which helped developed my strong affinity for the arts. I dove into the arts in school where my artwork caught the attention of my teachers and won competitions and awards. Although my counselor encouraged me to apply to art schools, I chose to study science and engineering to ease the concerns of my working-class immigrant parents. Pursuing a career as an artist in a struggling immigrant family was never an option. Nevertheless, I never abandoned my love for the arts. Throughout various stages of my life working in the field of Intellectual Property, I continued to draw, paint and create art. With patience, some planning, and the invisible hand of life’s unexpected twists and turns, I have been practicing art full-time for 6 years. Creativity and art is my life now. Making great art as a force for good, and sharing them with the world is the goal.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to where I am now was certainly without setbacks and doubts. I first had to forgo a formal training in the arts, and instead focus my studies in the field of science and engineering. I took out student loans and worked part-time to pay my way through college. During this time, I had abandoned all activities in the practice of creating art. It was shortly after securing my first full-time job after graduating from college, I used a portion of my paycheck to purchase art supplies and immediately resumed my passion for the arts painting and drawing on the weekends. Juggling my time and mental energy between a full-time job, the practice of making art, and staying in touch with friends and family depleted my creative inspiration. Regardless, I continued with the mindset that “as long as I create, I am happy.” At times, I would enter art competitions and other call-for-artists notices. The constant rejections started to chip away my confidence, and subsequently, I began to lose interest. There were periods in my life where my sketchbooks, paintbrushes, and canvases sat in the corner of my apartment collecting dust from lack of use. During that time in my life, the doubt in my heart drowned any hope of pursing an art career so I decided to go back to school and get an advanced degree. Eventually, the seed of creativity in me was revived when my partner at that time gifted me a professional easel and encouraged me to dust off my art supplies and resume with a new mindset and routine. With the support and encouragement of my friends and family, the engine of my creativity start to hum again. I made sure I always made time to create regardless of my schedule. I kept to it regardless of the circumstances in my life, and maintained my mindset that “as long as I create, I am happy.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I approach painting from both Eastern and Western school of thought on art. I combine the three essential elements of the eye, the hand, and the heart (as prescribed by a Chinese proverb), along with Western mediums and techniques to achieve an “interesting” painting.
The subjects of my paintings can come from my travels, the Internet, history, as well as my imagination. Generally, the subjects of my paintings are oriented toward our observable three-dimensional space-time reality. However, my paintings can also include abstracted forms containing images or spatial relationships that are unfamiliar, incomplete, and novel.
The process is just as important as the finished painting itself. Following a set of predetermined steps in making a painting doesn’t interest me. I enjoy the challenge of “not knowing,” and reacting to the painting moment by moment relying only on my intuition to lead me to the next step. My current preferred medium of oil paint contains qualities allowing me to experiment with different processes of applying pigments in interesting ways and achieving interesting effects. It is important that my process leaves evidence of the artist’s hand for the viewer’s eyes to wander. Furthermore, I paint on both unprimed and primed canvas.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I equate the role of luck to “the invisible hands of life’s twists and turns.” I try to focus on the present moment and the potential opportunities. I understand the future is unknownable and the past is just a faint memory. I put my very best into the present moment and let the “invisible hands of life” do its thing.
Pricing:
- $143.89
- $378.98
- $589.65
- $2,135.34
- $9,835.67
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.TheArtofSamson.xyz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartofsamson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtofSamson
Image Credits
Samson Huang
