I’ll Be Back
Phaan Howng
May 12 - June 25, 2022
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 12th, 6-8pm
Address: 242 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011

Dinner Gallery is proud to present I’ll Be Back, an exhibition of new sculptures, paintings and installation by Phaan Howng. This is her first solo exhibition with the gallery which will be on view from May 12th through June 25th with an opening reception on Thursday, May 12th from 6-8pm.

Howng’s practice has long explored ecological conditions brought on by globalization and capitalism while infusing her own sense of humor and satire. Taken from the Terminator’s iconic catchphrase, the exhibition’s title combines Howng’s love for blockbuster action movies with an imagined post-apocalyptic landscape in which plants have risen up to take revenge on dominating and harmful societies. 

I’ll Be Back focuses on the origins of houseplants and how cultivation leads to their subsequent exploitation for capitalistic gain. The hand-painted wallpaper overlain with paintings and sculptures of the same imagery diffuse together to create an immersive environment where her subjects have adopted camouflage as a form of defense against their oppressors. Neon colors and hyper-abstract forms highlight a toxic and unnatural landscape as though the flora were adapting and evolving from an earth corrupted by chemicals and waste. 

Howng’s highly theatrical works provide palatable sensibilities into more austere topics. She teleports the viewer into a narrative in order to unravel the complex relationships between humans and nature. Looking at horticultural histories and anthropology, particularly those stemming from the Victorian era, which was the height of botanical exhibitions, Howng questions mankind’s desire to manipulate, control and replicate nature rather than just living within it. 

As the climate crisis unfolds before us, Howng urges us to confront toxic ecological practices in hopes of creating a more environmentally thoughtful and truly sustainable future. 

About Phaan Howng
Phaan Howng is a Taiwanese American artist who currently lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. She received her BFA from Boston University and MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her works have been exhibited at the Asian Arts and Culture Center at Towson Universityin Maryland, Arlington Arts Center in Virginia and Baltimore Museum of Art in Maryland and the Smithsonian Institution in DC. She has completed multiple large-scale commissions for Facebook and American Express and her work has been featured in notable publications such as The American Scholar, Bmore Art Magazine, Artnet, Hyperallergic and Vice Magazine.