Details:
① Artwork:
Mango 2
In Cantonese, the word for “sour” (酸) is a homonym for “descendants” (孫). On her deathbed, the artist’s great-grandmother yearned for mangoes but was denied them due to a superstitious belief that consuming sour fruit might mean symbolically consuming her lineage. Inspired by this story of longing and tradition, the artist reimagines ancestral worship practices through these works, presenting mangoes as offerings to honor the deceased while questioning whether the canvas can act as a spiritual vessel. Adding another layer to this exploration, the mangoes depicted in these paintings are AI-generated, blurring the line between the real and the imagined. By merging technology with tradition, Or challenges the viewer to consider the fluid boundaries between reality and myth.
Benny Or’s work explores how humans attribute meaning and power to the inanimate, describing his paintings as “portraits” of objects. Using a blend of traditional and digital techniques, he composes imagery and sculptures that blur the line between documented past and collective lore. Or’s compositions often feature close-ups that hover between representation and abstraction, with a distinctive use of color that intensifies the object’s psychology. A recurring theme in his work is the transformation of states—light to darkness, life to death, vibrancy to decay—in which objects reveal their most profound symbolism. As a queer member of the diaspora, Or is keen on exploring the intersections of cultural memory, identity, and belonging, while connecting himself to the threads of human history.
Specs:
③ Artist:
Benny Or's work explores how humans attribute meaning and power to the inanimate, describing his paintings as "portraits" of objects. Using a blend of traditional and digital techniques, he composes imagery and sculptures that blur the line between documented past and collective lore, questioning our capacity to resurrect lost histories and the fallibility of memory. Or's compositions often feature close-ups, iconic portrayals that hover between representation and abstraction, and his distinctive use of color intensifies the psychological connection between viewer and object, deepening our complex relationship with his subjects. A recurring theme in his work is the transformation of states—light to darkness, life to death, vibrancy to decay—in which objects reveal their most profound symbolism. As a queer member of the diaspora, Or is keen on exploring the intersections of cultural memory, identity, and belonging, while also reaching beyond personal experience to address the anthropological threads that connect human history.
First-generation Canadian artist from Hong Kong, Benny Or, was born in 1990 and lives in Brooklyn, NY. He earned a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and he spent the next decade in live entertainment, working as a production designer and creative director, crafting immersive experiences for clients such as Billie Eilish and Disney on Ice.
In 2015, Or began exploring and sharing contemporary art on social media to stay inspired, seeking to bring elements of the art world into mainstream culture through his professional work. This practice would gradually deepen his engagement with the New York art scene, ultimately foreshadowing his own shift into fine art.
By 2018, Artnet had recognized Or as a top influencer for promoting art happenings and emerging artists online. The following year, his collaborative project, The Meeting Place, a pioneering project that explored Metaverse architecture as an art form, was recognized as a finalist in Interior Design Magazine's inaugural Metaverse Art and Design Awards and featured in Metropolis Magazine, Mexico DESIGN, and Hypebeast.
Profoundly affected by the surge in anti-Asian hate incidents in 2021, Or was inspired to take up space for himself in the art world, shifting his focus almost entirely to his practice by late 2023. In 2024, his work was featured in group exhibitions at Plato Gallery and Cinema Supply in New York, and his debut solo presentation at the Spring Break Art Fair was highlighted in The Art Newspaper for its exploration of cultural identity, displacement, and spirituality.
