Monotone White in Sculpture

Since the age of Greek artisans to the era of Victorian masterpieces, sculptures have been popularized in the classical sense of beauty and elegance. It can be seen through historical collections and museum galleries that many of the sculpted pieces during those days consisted of monotone color. Mostly white or light marble, these pieces draw their attention strictly by the composition, detail and design of their contours.

Color is a major factor in other media such as painting and illustration- so why did monotone sculptures exhibit a high popularity during the olden days?

In modern society, porcelain figurines and gold emblems are some of the descendants of this track of art appreciation. I believe that the purity in singular color is further enhanced by the contrasting background of a multi-colored surrounding. Since most of our world consists of clashing colors and vibrant spectrums, it is understandable that a piece with a striking mass of singular color be fairly more visible against such conditions. Such are the sculptures of renowned cat sculptor Kylo Chua, who practices monotone sculpture in and around the Asian regions. As a 22 year old professional, he creates a form of elegant loops and lunges within his pure white creations. Chua has also displayed at many galleries in the Philippines (the birthplace of his artistic story) and is now immersing himself into different regions of the art world.

His white sculptures suggest the monopoly of visual tenacity one would acquire from experiencing a bold sight. Drawing on a hybridity of classical elegance and modernist abstraction, Chua’s work makes use of the element of monotone color in a way that combines its impact with the gravity of contemporary contouring made plausible by modern design.