Filipino contemporary artist Sean Go presents his latest solo exhibition, Pop Go The Fable, at HOANG BELI Gallery in Le Marais, Paris, from April 17 to May 14, 2025.

Known for his distinctive pop art style, Go offers a compelling reinterpretation of traditional folklore, examining how timeless narratives transform across generations.

Through vivid imagery, irony, and nuanced commentary, the exhibition reflects Go’s continued exploration of cultural storytelling and its resonance in the modern world. Pop Go The Fable underscores his unique ability to blend humor with critical reflection.

 

 

The opening night attracted over 200 guests, who filled the gallery from 7 PM to midnight to view Go’s reinterpretation of age-old fables — and expectations were met with resounding enthusiasm.

His body of work is marked by a sophisticated playfulness and sharp satire, rendered in bold, saturated hues.

Go seamlessly integrates traditional narratives with contemporary perspectives, creating a visual language that’s both familiar and refreshingly new.

 

 

Influenced by theorists like Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault, Go doesn’t just revisit fairy tales—he critiques them. In one piece, Captain America is reimagined wearing Ronald McDonald’s suit, a bold commentary on how stories and symbols are hijacked by consumer culture.

Here are some of his featured pieces:

Sun Wukong Monkey King

Within the context of “Pop Goes the Fable” at Galerie Hoang Beli in Paris, Go’s rendition of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, can be interpreted as a potent symbol of cultural translation and contemporary anxieties. By appropriating this iconic figure from Chinese mythology and situating it within a Western gallery space, Go engages in a deliberate act of decontextualization and re-evaluation.

 

 

The Monkey King, traditionally representing rebellion, transformation, and the overcoming of adversity, is likely imbued with new layers of meaning within Go’s artistic framework. His characteristic pop aesthetic, when applied to this ancient fable, potentially serves to both democratize the narrative for a contemporary audience and to subtly critique the commodification and potential dilution of cultural heritage in a globalized world.

The work invites a scholarly inquiry into the ways in which mythical archetypes are adapted and reinterpreted across cultural boundaries, reflecting anxieties about cultural homogenization and the enduring power of narrative in navigating identity within a complex, interconnected world.

 

Bald Men

Go’s piece, “Bald Men,” exhibited at Galerie Hoang Beli in Paris, offers a compelling visual commentary on contemporary masculinity, power structures, and celebrity culture through a lens of playful parody.

The juxtaposition of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel, figures synonymous with hyper-masculine action cinema, alongside Jeff Bezos, the archetypal titan of modern corporate power, creates a deliberate incongruity that invites scholarly analysis. Their shared physical attribute—baldness—becomes a focal point, ironically uniting seemingly disparate spheres of influence: entertainment and technological dominance.

 

 

This shared characteristic, amplified by their muscular physiques, can be interpreted as a visual shorthand for a particular brand of assertive, almost monolithic masculinity prevalent in contemporary Western culture. The artwork potentially critiques the construction and performance of this hyper-masculinity, suggesting a subtle absurdity in its ubiquity at the apex of various power hierarchies.

By presenting these figures in a manner that borders on caricature, Go may be prompting a critical examination of the ideals and aspirations these individuals embody, and the extent to which these ideals are both celebrated and implicitly parodied within the contemporary media landscape.

The work thus becomes a site for exploring the intersection of celebrity, physical ideals, and the often-unquestioned narratives of success and dominance in the 21st century.

 

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Go’s “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” rendered in a Basquiat-inspired graffiti style, provides a concise visual critique of deceptive appearances. The juxtaposition of the proverb’s cautionary message with the raw, gestural energy of street art creates a tension that underscores the pervasive nature of duplicity.

The Basquiat influence imbues the allegory with a contemporary urgency, potentially critiquing power structures masked by benign facades. The artwork thus functions as a potent visual metaphor for concealed intent within various societal strata, prompting analysis of trust and power dynamics in the contemporary context.

Beyond his diverse academic pursuits, Sean Go’s studies at Parsons Paris provided a unique immersion into the world of haute couture and fashion history. His direct engagement with the archives of iconic houses like Schiaparelli and Alaïa offered invaluable hands-on experience and a deep understanding of fashion’s cultural and artistic significance.

 

 

Furthermore, learning under the tutelage of esteemed scholars Miren Arzalluz and Marco Pecorari undoubtedly shaped his critical perspective on visual culture and the intricate interplay between fashion, art, and society, enriching the conceptual underpinnings of his current artistic practice.

Emerging from the vibrant contemporary art scene of Manila, Sean Go is rapidly establishing himself as a significant and compelling voice on the global stage. His distinctive appropriation-based practice, marked by its sharp socio-political commentary and engaging pop-infused aesthetic, has garnered increasing international recognition. 

 

Go’s exhibition invites us to ask: Who owns the myth? Who controls the narrative? And, more importantly, how do fables shape the power dynamics of today’s world?

With Pop Go The Fable, Sean Go challenges our perceptions of familiar stories and invites us to question how culture and identity are constructed. It’s pop art with a purpose—and it’s definitely worth a visit.

 

 

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