LFAS PhotoMajors11 12: Ken Lum

Mirror Maze with 12 Signs of Depression, 2002

Ken Lum was born in 1956 in the east side of Vancouver. His parents wanted him to become a scientist, and his art teacher in high school told him that he had no compositional sense. So he went to SFU for a BSc where he took an Art History class with Jeff Wall that changed everything. After graduating from SFU, he continued his education at NYU and UBC for his Masters in Fine Arts. He currently lives in Vancouver and teaches at UBC.

Lum is a conceptual artist, who works with a variety of materials and mediums to communicate his ideas. Using signs, furniture, photos and text and mirrors and text, his works often explore race, vulture, laguage, class, race and identity. Born into a Chinese Canadian famile living in East Vancouver his background has influenced his work. He is often associated with the "Vancouver School", of artists (photographers) who work in photo-conceptualism an explore and deliberately blurr the boundaries between the worlds of art and commerce. He likes making art that confuses art with non-art, he says in the end, he is an artist who makes art.

As an internationally respected artist, has taught in Canada, Paris, Munich, SanFransisco, and Hangzhou. His works have been exhibited throughout the world in North America, Europe and China. He has had more than 100 solo exhibits in major museums is Shanghai, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Liverpool, SaoPaolo, and Sydney to name a few.

Find our more about Ken Lum here Vancouver Art Gallery- Ken Lum
A blog about a few of his works

STEVE, 1986

Ken Lum Assignment
Select one of Ken Lum's works from the Vancouver Exhibition below (you can also find or "Google" a different one, but clear it with the Usher first).