ABOUT THE WORK

Known for her eye-candy colors and figuration style reminiscent of cartoons and animations, Yeo Kaa is a rising star in the contemporary Filipino art scene whose works’ themes and subjects contrast sharply from the pop vibe evoked by her imagery. Kaa's work perfectly encapsulates the playful treatment of lurid and unpleasant themes that are indicative of postmillennial aesthetic and disposition. By utilizing contrasting memetics, Yeo Kaa's distinct style unmasks the facade by ironically applying a phenomenological layer that directs the viewer to its thematic core. In this piece, the artist analyzes our contemporary conception of vanity. She does so by not directly criticizing vanity itself, but rather the various elements that have resulted in its negative usage. Here, Kaa presents the problem of vanity as a product of vacuous attempts at empowerment by a boorish neoliberal establishment. The artist attempts to reclaim vanity, and to an extent beauty, from prepackaged definitions and return it to the realm of the sincerely unique and personal.