Object. Instrument. Symbol.
The rising star of Hong Kong art scene, @tylerjcksn guided us through his creative space filled with fascinating talismans and items of sentiment that tell stories and inspire his artistic genius.
It’s customary for Japanese craftsmen to repurpose their works. When a piece breaks, they put it together with gold, which gives it both new life and creates the notion of an artwork with a theoretically infinite lifecycle. The object does not break, it merely transitions to its next form, where the golden cracks tell stories, much like the rings on the trees. You can look into those patterns forever.
Much like an ancient recycled Japanese bowl, Tyler’s work has layers to it. Not only in a physical sense where textures and techniques collide, but also in a sense more contextual, where the many narratives conceived by the artist squirrel away in a vortex with the perspectives of the viewer.
Stay tuned to discover Tyler’s collection of sui generis objects that inspire some of his best works and allow them to be seen from the point of view of the artist himself.
Gongs, bells, ancient tattoo equipment and (possibly haunted) ritual masks, all wrapped in rich lore of legends, myths and encounters. What other odd yet captivating specimens reside in Tyler Jackson’s studio?
You will find out soon....
We buzz the doorbell and, shortly, we are in Tyler Jackson Pritchard’s studio. It’s a space that strikes with its unnerving energy as soon as it is revealed to a stranger. We go inside and the first thing that captures our attention is an alligator skull calmly sitting on a table near Tyler’s sofa. A lovely décor choice. The shelves and walls around are filled with oddities that were seemingly ripped out of the pages of fairy tale books. Here is a frog bag, bottles filled with snakes, ritual masks. ‘Quite a collection’ we whisper under our breath. Who knew the pagan witches and abstract expressionist painters had so much in common.
Opposite the sofa is where the magic happens. A blank canvas stares at the artist himself, who, no doubt, already knows how it is going to be transformed to his next masterpiece. Yes, we shamelessly invited ourselves to see the flow of Tyler’s creative genius while conducting an interview. And, as the first brushstroke slices through the canvas and we hit the record button, the real conversation begins.
Scroll to discover our interview with Tyler Jackson, where he goes deep into what inspires him, his unique and surprisingly sentimental take on love and more.
Have you ever taken a shot of snake liquor with the reptile’s beating heart inside? Or have you had a tattoo done amidst an art show? The latest participant of #experienceGAHSP, Tyler Jackson Pritchard has done all of those. Inspired by Tyler’s stories and experiences, we decided to document our conversation and present it in a signature GAHSP audio format.
During our second visit to the studio, we were presented with an opportunity to explore the impressive collection of objects Tyler has curated over the years. It’s not hoarding if every piece has its unique meaning. Every single statuette, scary mask and bowl had stories behind them. And, in an attempt to understand how they influence Jackson’s creative process and reflect his philosophy, we started our tour.
The first step was a peculiar device, decorated with intricate metalwork, that came in an elegant box. After reading the confusion right off of our faces, Tyler explains that the object is, in fact, an ancient tattoo kit from Burma. Showing this unique specimen evoked some of Tyler’s memories, so he tells us a story of how once, one of his art shows was transformed into an experimental tattoo parlour.
We sit down on the sofa and wait for Tyler to bring in the second specimen. It’s a dainty piece of tableware, which is MOST DEFINITELY NOT a singing bowl. A regular bowl then? We look closer and discover a ribbed texture on the inside and faint cracks that reflect the light with yellow specks. On the contrary, this bowl, most certainly, has a story or two to tell.
We walk across the room and can’t help but feel like we are being observed. That is the doing of the masks that hang on the walls. They look at us with judgement. Or is it contempt? At this point, our analysis of how haunted those masks are is interrupted by Jackson himself, who now stands in front of us holding a jewellery box. Inside is a few handmade silver rings, each of which carries a special meaning and some surprising life lessons. Swipe to discover more.