CHUM (Harry Malesovas) Interview
How did you first get into sculpting? What is it about this medium that appeals to and/or resonates with you?
I got into sculpting after years of drawing and painting. At the time, I just wanted to experiment with a new medium. I really didn’t expect to be so taken by clay.
But my first experiments with the medium proved really successful and I just decided to keep pursuing it because it was this amazing opportunity to push my figures and monsters from 2-D to 3-D, making them feel so much more real. I think that’s why I love it so much now, and while it has a lot of limitations, the ability to make my creations take up so much space and feel so real is awesome!
Your sculptures always have faces on them - whether it’s a sculpture with a single face or a sculpture with ten faces and/or figures emerging out of each other. Are most of the faces and figures of yourself?
Yes and no, each of my sculptures serves as an inner self portrait, portraying the inner me at the time of making the work. Within each sculpture I do portray myself a lot in a series of different situations both good and bad, silly and serious. But I also portray family and friends as well as people I don’t like so much. Along with figures, I add in places and objects that remind me of people as well. The people you interact with and the memories they form mold who you are, so while I am pretty prevalent across my works the people who have shaped me are there too!
You’ve mentioned that sculpting has become a form of catharsis for you, a vehicle to confront all of the intense emotions and experiences you’ve encountered. What are some of the thoughts and feelings that you go through while you’re sculpting a piece? Is it difficult to give form to these feelings and do you encounter any artistic blocks (i.e. the artist equivalent of a writer’s block)? And any advice or words of encouragement for anybody going through tough times?
While I sculpt, I face everything: from depression and anxiety to immense joy and pride. I think it depends on what the focus of the sculpture is. I have found myself almost hyper-fixating on the negatives in my life while trying to move past them. In looking at these sad moments to try and heal, I was getting depressed.
That actually happened when I was building one of my favorite works in the show, A Portrait of Harry in the Grips. I was so focused on channeling some of the negative feelings I had been struggling with into this sculpture and when it was all done, I just felt sad! I kind of had to hit myself and be like, “make something happy,” hence the sister piece A Portrait of Harry in Bliss. That piece was a pretty calming experience because I could just focus on the beautiful aspects of my life and what I was grateful for. In focusing on those things, I was happy during the entirety of that construction.
Regarding any blocks or difficulties in creating, I would say that is not a big struggle for me. I think that is why I have my visual language of characters which I can draw on. It is nice to revisit with some of these little monsters and once I get them on the work, usually something comes to me to help give them a scene in which they are interacting.
Regarding advice for someone struggling with those inner voices, it sounds simple, and that’s because it is: be vulnerable. It is cliché but that was the biggest thing for me. Sharing that I felt depressed and that I felt feelings of self-harm started conversations with others and showed me I wasn’t alone. I think there are way too many people who think they’re the only one experiencing something and it’s so wild what being vulnerable can do. Suddenly you know 30 people with the same issue and you realize you’re not so special, not so alone. That’s huge.
For most of your life, you felt the need to put up a stoic facade and not burden others with your emotions. Is there a sense of pressure/judgment or is there relief to have the public be able to witness your vulnerability and private inner life through your art?
It’s a relief. I can put all these feelings out there and show everyone what it’s like to share. And in being so vulnerable you take down the barrier between you and the viewer and create a dialogue regarding shared experiences. I think there is some pressure because I want to make sure I not only get my feelings out there but hopefully express my thoughts well enough to encourage others to share similar feelings. That is the difficult part about art right? Is it landing with the viewer? Do they get what I’m trying to do here? But when they do and someone has that ‘aha’ moment, that’s pretty special.
Are your figures inspired by something found in the media or do they emerge purely from your imagination? What is the process like when deciding the choice of colors for your sculptures? Do certain colors reference specific emotions that you were feeling when sculpting a piece?
I think for a while I felt that they were just spawned from within me... but that isn’t true right? We are constantly regurgitating everything which has shaped us since birth. I think now I realize truly how much cartoons and comic books shaped my visual language. I mean I think my characters are pretty authentically Harry, but the way they interact with each other is clearly inspired from all the shows and movies I was taking in as a kid. Like my work has a 90s, early 2000s comic book/cartoon chaos that I think a lot of people resonate with.
Regarding color, I’m naturally drawn to warm colors. Sunset Orange and yellow are my favorites so I use them a lot. But all in all, I think color is very important across my work. Naturally colors affect your mood so if there is a specific emotion I’m going for I will use certain colors. If I want to capture something kind of sad, I use black like in A Portrait of Harry in the Grips. If I am going for something kind of demonic, I may use red. If I’m going for something divine and holy, then light blue and gold!
Last great piece of media (book/movie/show/music)?
That’s hard because I’m such a movie and music guy. My favorite movies are Akira and The Goonies. Horror movies are also so inspirational for my work. 28 Days Later and The Thing I think resonates with me a lot. Music? I’m such a metal head and rap fan. I’m usually listening to Sanguisugabogg or City Morgue.
Now if this question is asking what I think was the last great piece of media ever created, I would day the graphic novel Black Hole or the book East of Eden. I think about those two a lot. And for film, it is Akira, I watch it probably once a month.
Chum’s Instagram: @chum_art
Interview by Tiffany Kang.
@by_inyoung