ANDREW THOMAS HUANG: An Ethereal Mind
To a child the world of fantasy is often an escape, a dream world in which the bounds of our imagination are limitless. For L.A.-based, artist and filmmaker, Andrew Thomas Huang, this process and fascination with mysterious other worlds has resulted in him becoming one of the most exciting and forward thinking artists in the industry; directing music videos for renowned musicians such as Björk and FKA Twigs.
With his short film, Kiss of the Rabbit God in 2019, Huang made a brave leap, creating a more personal piece of art that was emblematic of his queer identity and furthermore giving a voice and positive representation to queer Asian-Americans, which up to this point had largely been ignored.
Positivity, the power of imagination and luscious colours are all motifs that Huang plays with, creating a distinct and artistic world, that feels simultaneously alien as well as comforting and familiar.
Touching on his childhood influenced by religious imagery, we explore the mind of this enigmatic artist, learning the connection between the streets of LA and the mysterious aliens from Star Wars.
Björk-The Gate
Hi Andrew! Thank you so much for your time. Could you please introduce yourself to the GATA family?
Hi, my name is Andrew Huang. I’m a filmmaker and artist based in Los Angeles.
How did your artistic journey begin?
My background is in drawing and painting. I use to build puppets as a kid because I was a huge fan of Jim Henson and movies like Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal. I studied art in college and began making my own short films in my dorm. When I graduated, I had encouragement to direct after one of my shorts went viral on youtube and I began directing commercials and music videos.
I made an experimental non-narrative film in 2012 called Solipsist which attracted attention from artists like Björk and Thom Yorke and I began a new trajectory making music videos for higher profile artists and creating more work that straddled film, fine art and mixed media. Since then I have been focusing on creating more narrative work with my first feature film TIGER GIRL, which we are casting right now.
Religious elements pop up in your visuals frequently, was religion an important aspect of your childhood growing up?
Yeah, I grew up in a Japanese-American church and my family is quite religious. I don’t attend church anymore but I think this upbringing has made me spiritually curious for my whole life.
In the music video for Cellophane, you seem to touch on the concept of heaven and hell, what attracted you to these concepts?
A few years ago, I got really into Carl Jung and the language of dreams and so I began to use Jung as a tool to unpack subconscious themes I’ve grappled with my whole life.
Again, I grew up in a church and as a closeted gay kid, I was very concerned about the idea about going to Hell. Twigs’ story is about a fall from grace and redemption, and so I imagined what if we tell a story where twigs tries to ascend to perfection in “Heaven” but she falls from grace and actually finds healing and salvation in a sort of womb-like “Hell.” I think the idea of “Hell” underground can be a place where you can begin to put yourself back together in a positive way. We all have to learn to sit with our demons at some point.
FKA twigs- cellophane
Los Angeles seems to be a huge influence on how you view the world, in particular your short films in recent years; how would you say the city has shaped your identity and what is your current relationship with the place?
LA is my home. It’s not the easiest place to get around – it’s a very private city. LA is a place of anachronisms – nothing fits here which is what makes it strange, ugly and beautiful at the same time. I think a lot about my parents and grandparents and their lives growing up here as immigrants in Chinatown. Their history roots me here very much. Only thing I miss is rain. As a kid I use to pray for rain all the time.
What is the research process for your work? There are so many elements of folklore, fantasy and mythological symbols that occur over and over again in your images. How do you manage to combine them in such a way that remains balanced and concise?
I think going to art school has trained me to motivate my artistic choices by doing homework. When I make aesthetic decisions I want them to be driven by research. I think research can set artists free and put us in dialogue with our history and ancestors. I love doing research, it’s what gets me excited to make stuff. I also think there’s a limit to research.
Sometimes, you have to just invent new language. I’m ok with that too. We have to fill in the blanks of history and the unknown with our imagination. Detailed research combined with the imaginary is the perfect recipe for work that feels simultaneously timeless and contemporary in my humble opinion.
How has the current pandemic affected you, are there any lessons and positives that we can take from it?
I’m grateful to have a more quiet life and to be more deliberate in how I choose to spend my energy. The pandemic has also forced me to take better care of my body. The pandemic has been a lesson in patience and self-care. We are not out of this yet and I am still working from home mostly which I’m grateful to be able to do.
In your graphic work, we often find elements that are reminiscent of aliens from outer space, what is the origin of these creatures?
As a kid when I watched movies like Star Wars; I always related more to the aliens than I did the humans. I’m not sure if it’s because I was queer or felt like a racial minority. But the aliens were way more interesting, powerful and felt more truthful to my experience.
“I think artmaking is a pendulum between living your life and committing yourself to craft. I think it’s important to master a discipline because it unlocks your ability to articulate your inner voice. I think it’s important to find balance, learn to be vulnerable with others and when you’re deep in your craft you may surprise yourself and find you are finally able to speak the unspeakable that’s been inside you the whole time.”
Lily Chan & The Doom Girls (2020)
Kiss of the Rabbit God (2019), seems like a very personal work? Was it difficult to open yourself up to the world?
Yeah it was very vulnerable. Before that film I had never created a story that addressed my queerness or my Asian identity. I wish I had sooner but I have to remind myself that it didn’t feel safe to when I was younger.
The story of the main character was embodying many of my insecurities and hang ups around sex and sexuality that I had growing up. And so to put him on screen was a public confession. And the adornment of the Rabbit God with red hair and flashy jewellery was a way of asserting that gay Asian men can be beautiful and powerful too. Having grown up in a white, straight western environment, that statement felt radical at the time.
At GATA we love cinema, in particular visual films, do you have any movies that have inspired you on a personal level?
I love love love Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s movies – UNCLE BOONMEE, CEMETERY OF SPLENDOUR, TROPICAL MALADY among others. He is my hero and I am excited for MEMORIA.
Other favorite movies are Sally Potter’s ORLANDO and Sergei Parajanov’s THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES. I’m also a fan of visual epics like BATMAN RETURNS by Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam’s early work.
GALAXY QUEST, the South Korean film SUNNY (2011) and CLUE (1985) are some of my fav ensemble comedies. My taste is all over the place.