Frame size: 190.0 x 129.5 x 5.5 cm,
Image size: 180.0 x 120.0 cm
“Fear of Lying” displays Ruben Pang’s distinctive brand of painting with its ghoulish and luminous forms, fluid brushwork, and visually arresting colours that belie the dark temperament of his subject matter. The work was inspired by scenes and encounters that had impressed upon Pang’s mind over the past year of travels, in particular the indelible experience of witnessing a close friend surmounting life’s challenges to reunite with his son. Capturing this tenacity of spirit, two upright figures materialise here against a murky twilight, rising up with a sort of heroic dignity despite their deformed and wounded appearances. “Fear of Lying” – with 'lying’ being in repose – speaks to the state of putting in the work, and by doing so, later grant the body permission to rest well and hard. The work combines the narratives of perseverance and finding hope in a barren place, and weaves a moving tale of man overcoming his environment – suggested further by the feet of the dominant figure that look to break the two-dimensionality of the picture plane.
