In this work Ken Lum plays with an unexpected combination of text and image. The picture shows a woman at her desk with a friendly smile. The accompanying text:’Melly Shum hates her job’ gives the image a completely different connotation. The woman’s polite look is in stark contrast to the aggressive typography of the written message.

The work questions ingrained stereotypes. Lum has used a typical advertising medium – the billboard – to represent Melly Shum’s hidden thoughts. He shows that behind this Asian office worker’s calm and courteous exterior is an angry and defiant woman.

Artworks