Henri-Simon Blanc-Hoang

Henri-Simon Blanc-Hoang worked as an instructor of Spanish & French for the federal government until the election of Donald Trump, when the decision to build “the wall” made the learning of Spanish obsolete for government employees. For his second-language learners, Blanc-Hoang would draw graphic novel adaptations of authentic literary texts. After being laid off from his government job, this self-taught painter used his extra time to pursue his artistic career. He finds inspiration in his double cultural heritage and in the subversion of traditional art forms. For him, the priority is to give a visibility, in his work, to the post-colonial subjects while creating art that has a low-environmental impact.

Blanc-Hoang’s submission to “An Exhibition of Decolonial Transborder Art” is entitled “Cultural Appropriation/Re-Appropriation by the Colonial Subject.” In his presentation, Blanc-Hoang explores how over the past decades, art critics have denounced the phenomenon of cultural appropriation. Such exploitation of native resources is usually understood as an unequal power dynamic between a dominant culture and a submissive colonial subject. His showcased artwork attempts to reverse this situation by appropriating art forms that are usually associated with the status quo in Western societies.