LAUNCH LA is proud to present Veneer, a two person show featuring the paintings and drawings of Phung Huynh and sculptures of Chukes. Veneer explores the overlapping of identities and the complexities of navigating race and culture. Huynh and Chukes forge new spaces through their intersectional approaches to raising questions of identity and belonging.
Disturbed by the prevalence of racism and the realities of being black in America, Chukes transforms his energy into thoughtful, almost futuristic clay busts, or “veneers.” Peaceful and sober, his figures absorb these emotions and look out to the viewer with powerful serenity. A love for melody is evident in the fluidity of his figures; as Chukes’ sculpts, he carves identities that trace connections between visual art and music. The busts’ exaggerated feminine features are smoothed, in contrast with their deep, richly textured surfaces. Chukes makes his passion clear as he celebrates the ability of art and music to transcend differences in race and the spaces our identities occupy.