Bryan Beyung was born in Montreal, among a refugee family. This marriage of culture lead him to a sense of creation driven by the wish of self-definition. Bachelor in graphic design, the artist grows within the fast-paced world of digital technologies. Even though he is aware of the infinite possibilities these tools present, he remains careful concerning their mechanisms. His influence taking roots in its past as a graffiti artist, he prefers intuitive methods allowing for a deeper sense of abstract picturing. He creates unstructured and dynamic compositions where the freedom of the gesture meets precision of the technique. Between figurative and abstract art, empty spaces and burst of colors, formal art and graphic design, the strength of his work is in this constant duality.
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.