Kelogsloops

Hieu is an Australian artist from Melbourne who goes by the alias kelogsloops. His watercolour paintings often depict female portraiture inspired from surreal and fantasy art styles. Since beginning on his artistic career, he has worked and operated by his motto, “be right back, chasing dreams.” Hieu started drawing as a child, often losing himself in his sketchbooks. He went on to paint digitally in 2009 after receiving his first Wacom tablet. In his final years of high school, he began experimenting with watercolour and has since continued to refine his skill to what it is today. Hieu currently exhibits his work in galleries and maintains a presence on social media. He intends to continue his current projects and pursuits, hoping to one day have his own studio and teach.

What is your dream project?

One of my many dream projects would be to one day do an exhibit with the National Gallery of Victoria in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia. I’d like it to be an exhibit where I could produce an entire new collection of works for, but also document the process of making these artworks for from start to finish. This documentation would be showcased as a large part of the exhibition, where visitors can walk through the process, as if they were also part of the journey from start to finish. It would give insight into the world of an artist to the wider population, highlighting the amount of work and effort that goes towards creating a collection of work, but also showcasing that sometimes the process is as important as the final outcome. As a secondary feature to the exhibit, I would love to be able to run workshops, art talks and tours that might inspire the community and invite them to be part of it. 

Describe your work in one sentence.

I would like to think of my work as quiet and often emotionally charged, intended to feel like glimpses into intimate, fleeting moments.

For what would you want to be known? 

Since beginning my art journey, I’ve always openly shared my experience from where I started to where I am today, and hopefully I will continue to do the same for many years to come. At the end of my journey, I would like to be known to have been an advocate for art education, but also as someone who can inspire future young aspiring artists with a simple message, ‘to chase your dreams.’ There’s already enough cynicism and naysayers in the world, so I would like my journey to be an encouraging source of reference for younger generations to hopefully start on their own paths, whether it be a creative one or not!