Born in Montreal to a family of Chinese-Cambodian refugees, this dual culture has led him to create in a desire to build and define himself. With a degree in graphic design, he became familiar with the digital world, aware of the infinite possibilities of these media, yet wary of their mechanicity, preferring the intuitiveness that a more abstract pictorial approach allows him, to compositions influenced by his past as a graffiti artist. He paints everyday subjects with a pronounced taste for geometric shapes and compositions inspired by graphic design. Somewhere between figurative and abstract art, he creates dynamic compositions in which he deconstructs forms to give a second approach to an image, an idea, a memory…
His work can be seen in the United States, Canada, Haiti and Cambodia. Beyung lives and works in Montreal.
Gene Pendon has a Bachelor degree in Fine-Arts (drawing and painting) from Concordia University. In 1998, he co founds Heavyweight Production House (HVW8), now based in Montreal and in Los Angeles. He also co creates the Heavyweight Art Installation, an international project that partners live painting to music and to urban cultures.
Artwork description
The mural May an Old Song Open a New World produced by MU and created by Gene Pendon and Bryan Beyung — both of Asian descent —, celebrates the richness of the Chinese culture and the significant contribution of its people to Montreal’s cultural diversity. The project is consistent with the broader revitalization efforts of the Chinatown tourist hub.
Painted on a bright red background (synonymous with prosperity, heroism, courage and bravery in the Chinese culture), the image features a female Chinese opera singer decorated with a yellow, blooming lily in the foreground. In the background, a circle represents unity while the masks on either side signify the characteristic mix of optimism and nostalgia upon arrival in a new country.