Life & Work with Lowell Ervin Ong of Long Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lowell Ervin Ong.

Hi Lowell Ervin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was seven or eight years old, I dropped my lunchbox full of crayons during a strong El Niño season. I remember crying, bawling my eyes out, as all my crayons sloshed with the water flowing down the curb and mixing in with all the gutter algae. My older sister saved the day though and picked up everything she could and stuffed them back into my lunch box. In Tagalog, she told me to never do that again. And we walked back home on that cold California day. I don’t think I ever got over that moment. Now I’m creative director, a painter, and a photographer. And on occasion, a writer when I feel like it.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oomph. Where do I begin?I always had an inkling for art when I first saw my dad draw Wolverine bursting out of a grave from an old comic book. That sparked it. I studied comics, illustrations, “fine art” as my pre-adult brain could interpret it, and I took as many art classes as I could in high school and college—eventually getting to the point of being a real fine artist who drew very realistically. But at the same time, I learned a bunch of other things, like 3D modeling and animation, coding websites, ‘new media’ formats like augmented reality and creative coding, video and audio editing, advertising, design, photography, etc. Eventually I majored in graphic design because it seemed to be the mysterious thread that held everything together for me. While painting was always something that has been with me throughout.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m not sure if there’s anything that really sets me apart from others. I think the creative practice is a personal practice and everyone has their own thing going for them. With my painting practice, I’m finding a visual language that tends to flirt between a personal psycho-history and the larger external world. Some paintings feel standalone and simple, while other images invoke scenarios too complex to explain in a handful of words. I try really hard to keep my practice grounded and straight-forward hoping that the outcome becomes easy. But a lot of times the work evolves into something more chaotic and tougher to deal with. Of course, everything is obviously autobiographical being a baby-immigrant from the Philippines and assimilating into American culture. I’m not really known for anything though.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Be nice. Be yourself. Be honest.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lowellong.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fightingelegy
• Other: https://www.lowell.work

Image Credits
Photos by Sara Ekua Todd