When Characters Cross into Reality” – The Secret Code of Happiness by Artist Stewart Huang
In the world of art, fiction is often another response to reality. Huang Shijia’s “Happy Beast” carries both childlike innocence and whimsical imagination, wandering between collaged images and photographs, rebellious yet gentle. It reminds us that happiness may not be ready-made, but something continuously created and redefined.
There is a sense of wonder and purity in Huang’s works. After speaking with him, I became even more convinced of this quality. His creations are inhabited by fictional characters that seem to dwell in an alternate dimension, a virtual and limitless realm belonging to the artist alone. Sometimes these characters step across into photographs of reality, and the juxtaposition makes the works more intriguing—like an act of reclaiming reality. The contrast between photos and painting reminds me of graffiti art: rebellious, confrontational, covering and asserting selfhood. Together, they form illusory landscapes.
He explains that the character moving through these dimensions is called the “Happy Beast,” a fictional being he created to embody joy. Its form is drawn from fragments of his own experience, like a code: significant moments in life are transformed into details of the character’s design. The artist is also fascinated by encoding within his compositions, embedding layers of symbols that gradually evolve into a method of creation. These codes may not need to be directly explained to the audience, but for the artist they serve as a form of expression and honesty.
By transforming a scene, a space, or a photograph into something of his own, Huang approaches a place of longing. Even if the connection is only between reality and an imagined figure within the frame, it offers a sense of comfort and companionship. This resonates with the original intent behind the creation of the Happy Beast: a reminder of where joy resides. Whether in imagined or real settings, the Happy Beast embodies a rediscovered innocence, an essential part of how we recognize happiness.
Through diverse forms of creation, feelings of the heart find expression, offering great support to you, me, and the world.
Stewart Huang
Even without dreams, I continue to paint.
Without him, her, it, or them, you can still find happiness and joy.
The pain and sorrow we carry can be transformed into a source of creative energy and a force to help others.
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