FLABJACKS: FANANA is the first solo exhibition for Shanghai based artist Ton Mak (Hong Kong, born 1988). FLABJACKS represent a series of chubby and friendly creatures in an imaginary wonderland. They have moles on their faces, fat lips, and a deliciously curvaceous body. Featuring key paintings, sculptures, drawings and toys, “FANANA” is a celebration of the super mundane fruit form; the Banana.

“FANANA” represents strong examples of FLABJACKS’s exploration of Animism. The belief that our material world also embodies supernatural powers of its own, filled with phenomenological potentials. For example, seemingly “dead” objects such as rocks, dough forms (often represented in FLABJACKS’s artworks), and in this particular scenario…. bananas, can also have a spirit and soul of their own. All the bananas have seemingly similar facial features and characteristics, but on a closer look can express an array of human emotions from joy, excitement, surprise to nervousness and angst. They reflect feelings we can resonate with despite their simple and slightly chubby aesthetic. And hopefully, they can make everyone smile.