Ellie Kayu Ng

Ellie Kayu Ng is a painter born in Hong Kong and raised in there and Vancouver. She studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts and recently received an MFA in Painting at the New York Academy of Art. Her current work is about employing clothing as a language, and she's utilizing this language on canvas to communicate identity. Her work has been published in juried exhibitions-in-prints, such as New American Paintings and Friend of the Artist.

Collect Bean: What does growth mean to you?

Ellie Kayu Ng: To me, growth means staying humble and curious. I think I'd have to be humble enough to acknowledge the areas I want to improve and be curious about different things so I can find unconventional ways to improve.

Collect Bean: What is something that you do to stay focused?

Ellie Kayu Ng: Have one little pastry next to me while I paint :)

Collect Bean: How does where you grew up influence your work?

Ellie Kayu Ng: I grew up in Hong Kong and have always loved the cityscape at night. The neon signs and building lights feel like never-disappearing fireworks, which made me fall in love with anything sparkly and the beauty of 'more is more.' The city also had stronger social norms when I was young, so the idea of wanting to fit in and stand out simultaneously was probably embedded in me.

Collect Bean: Where are you currently finding inspiration?

Ellie Kayu Ng: I still look for clothes online to find inspiration, but I’m also interested in short stories and storytelling. So The Moth has inspired me lately (Their book and podcast). And also music! I like finding similarities between short stories, music, and visual art - all short to conceive but could take time to be digested.

Collect Bean: What does an ideal day in your studio look like?

Ellie Kayu Ng: Painting productively from 9 to 5 in my studio would be ideal!