It is not an easy feat to be a multidisciplinary artist, due to the fact that you need to essentially specialise in a number of art forms and mediums. Artist and creative Kien Situ is one of these talents and his work will be featured in the 3rd Bankstown Biennale: Same Same/Different which you can currently go check out at the Bankstown Arts Centre till the 1st February, 2025.

Situ’s practice and body of work spans architecture, sculpture, film, sound, and installation and is centred on prime motifs of formation (matter) and change (time). With a thematic focus on matter, ruin, distance, numerology, and time in relation to new migrant identities, it functions to challenge, deconstruct and re-imagine notions of space, heritage, and identity from an outsider multicultural perspective.

In a recent interview with Being Asian Australian, Situ discussed why he focuses on these thematic motifs and how it reflects his upbringing.

“We are in a very diverse and multicultural environment, so naturally that is a parallel in terms of approaching multidisciplinary art. For me there are many phases, many stories of career and personal progression so that is why I hope my work reflects this. Growing up, both my parents were architects as is my sister, so hence this was a calling that came to me, and I reflect this is my art as well”.

Drawing upon his Sinospheric background (Chinese/Vietnamese diaspora), his research considers the position and potential of immigrant/refugee/alien identities in Australia. Situ’s Asian Australian identity is extremely important to him and he hopes that those checking out his work can see that.

“You know, I really started to think about my cultural identity and where it fits in with how I see myself when I was still in architecture school. In architecture, you get projects which require you to understand the context around what it takes to build a building, property or some type of structure. So, I think from that, I started to look at my own identity from an architectural lens – what does it take to build up who I am? and how does my identity correlate with things that are currently happening at the moment”.

Situ is extremely talented in what he does, and his resume is a story about an overachiever who has insurmountable levels of creativity. He has had solo exhibitions with institutions and galleries such as 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, The University of Sydney, Yavuz Gallery and Passage Gallery; as well as Cement Fondu (Group). He has been shortlisted for the Create NSW Artspace Visual Arts Fellowship 24/25. His work is included in Deloitte’s Corporate Art Collection and numerous private collections. Alongside this, he has designed numerous exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales as an Architectural/Exhibition Designer. A mouthful huh?

With that, Situ talks about the 3rd Bankstown Biennale: Same Same/Different and what it means to have his work featured there.

“It is extremely important to me, as I have mostly worked on shows that are more centred around the inner city, the City of Sydney, or Chinatown spaces, so to be invited to a show in a context that it is in a different part of Sydney, is a great way to get a new audience and get more nuance on how my creativity gels with their perspective”, Situ stated.

“Considering the Bankstown area is extremely diverse, it is also relatable to me because growing up, I was always moving between my Chinese and my Vietnamese identities and family, and both sides are so different. Hence I am excited for this exhibition, because of how different the perspectives will be of those coming from the area to see mine and all the other featured artists works.”

If you can, go check out Situ’s work and all the other featured artists work as well. The 3rd Bankstown Biennale: Same Same/Different is currently open at Bankstown Arts Centre until 1^st February.