Know Hope

For his first solo show in Los Angeles since 2009, Know Hope continues his research and narrative, this time focusing on the notion of ‘The Weight’.

Portraying ‘The Weight’ in both a visual and symbolical nature, this exhibition observes on the various interpretations of what weighs down on us, collectively speaking.

Know Hope has recently been using the image of the flag in his work, attempting to look into the idea of patriotism-not necessarily from the directly-political aspect, but by focusing on the minor human situations that compose this larger issue.

The artist conducts this research from a standing point of aiming to understand how patriotism works; as an emotional mechanism, hoping to show the indifference between the personal and the political

Another primary concept portrayed in Know Hope’s work is the idea of ‘The Missings’, the empty spaces which he sees as a common denominator. The artist believes that there is a collective longing that exists in subjective manners (i.e. ‘a missing’, or an empty space) that we seek to fill, more specifically in this case by patriotism.

There is an emphasis on the process of adopting these ‘truisms’-being born into a charged reality and embracing these values without questioning; such as we do the flag and it’s role in our lives.

By creating a new body of work and a site-specific installation, all while keeping these things in mind, Know Hope presents ‘The Weight’, an observation on where we are now, how we got to being there, and how we manage the burdens that we bear.