Young artist flourishing in Christchurch wins national award
Drawing on influences as diverse as K-Pop, Orientalism and queer politics, University of Canterbury (UC) Fine Arts student Aaron Kong wowed judges to win the 2020 Iris Fisher scholarship.
Exciting young artist and UC Fine Arts student Aaron Kong is delighted with the potentially career-boosting recognition that will follow winning the national Iris Fisher Scholarship for 2020. Photo: courtesy of the artist.
“Being awarded this scholarship has been unbelievable, especially since many of the previous awardees have gone on to develop successful art careers,” he says.
“It has been a big boost of validation, especially in a year of uncertainty. I hope that this scholarship will allow me to push my practice forwards in being able to buy supplies and materials.”
Kong moved to Christchurch to study at UC’s Ilam School of Fine Arts (SoFA), whose graduates include many well-known artists including Rita Angus and Bill Hammond.
“I moved from Wellington to Christchurch because I was really drawn to the specialised disciplines offered at Ilam [SoFA] as I felt it would allow me to fully explore sculpture and the concepts it’s concerned with.”