Between This Body and the World explores the space where identity, history, and materiality converge. Rooted in the deeply personal and transnational journey of the artist, this exhibition examines the body as both a vessel—literally, through the use of his body as a painting tool—and a threshold, mediating the constant negotiation between intimate personal histories and the larger forces of society, politics, and culture.
At the heart of the exhibition is the use of latex, an organic material rich with complex symbolism. Latex becomes a metaphor for skin—malleable, protective, and permeable—standing at the intersection of vulnerability and resilience. It recalls the history of rubber plantations during the French colonization of Vietnam, an echo of the artist's heritage, while simultaneously serving as a queer emblem of intimacy and sexual expression. Through its transparent, almost skin-like quality, latex functions as a portal between the visible and the unseen, the interior and the exterior, the past and the present.
Central to the exhibition is the motif of doors and portals—visual representations of thresholds, access, and exclusion. These portals metaphorically engage with histories of colonialism and queer identity, critiquing power dynamics and the politics of access.
KV Duong is an ethnically Chinese artist with a transnational background—born in Vietnam, raised in Canada, and now living as a queer person in Britain. He examines the complexities of Vietnamese queer identity, migration, and cultural assimilation through personal and familial history. During his MA studies at the Royal College, he has created works on latex, highlighting its historical connection to French colonial rubber plantations in Vietnam, while simultaneously embracing its sensuality and symbolic association with the queer experience. The recurring motif of a door or portal signifies access and the limitations imposed by societal constructs, particularly those associated with colonial and LGBTQ+ history.
For more information and opening hours visit https://harlesdenhighstreet.com/Between-This-Body-and-the-World