With headphones on and hair immaculately styled, Joel Kong (b. 1988) is ready to begin. His focus is only interrupted by his smile, which spreads through the room like his enthusiastic, musically precise drumming during studio dance sessions.
Kong works like a jeweler setting gemstones. His luminous, anime-influenced portraits are astonishingly vibrant, often sporting hair that defies gravity and natural coloring. He is a master of the qualities and potential of markers. In Kong’s hands this humble medium’s opacity and translucency are balanced, controlled, and used to dazzling effect over a range of subjects, from traditional courtesans to sci-fi inspired figures.