Ezra Lau

Your work merges digital precision with instinctive expression. How do you balance technical control with spontaneity in your creative process?

I find that the math and the ratios provide a nice framework to organize the infinite possibilities that the blank canvas represents. Once I’ve established a grid or some sort of structure, I like playing in the space that exists between the expected and the unanticipated. That playfulness is crucial as I iterate and experiment throughout the creative process.

The optical illusions in your pieces challenge our perception of depth and space. What draws you to explore this tension between perception and reality?

There is significant overlap of illusions with cognitive biases and the plethora of ways that our brains will lie to us, and I feel that the exploration of that concept in my art helps me maintain a healthy amount of skepticism in my personal life.

Ezra Lau | The sun | 2023

Coming from a background in video game development, how has that experience influenced your artistic language and approach to composition?

Video games are built with lines of code and geometry; individually simple elements, but when combined can provide the user a rich and immersive alternate reality to dive into. I’m essentially doing the same thing when I’m creating my 2D compositions, applying design fundamentals to basic shapes to give the viewer an opportunity to stop and maybe discover a new way of looking at the world.

Ezra Lau | Cant see without lenses | 2023

Many of your black-and-white works evoke a sense of rhythm and vibration, almost musical. Do you see any connection between your art and sound or movement?

This question tickles a bit of ironic humor for me, because I really didn’t like being forced to practice the piano as a kid. That being said, I do think that that experience and exposure to music theory from a young age helped me develop an intuitive sense of balance and harmony that definitely influences my work.

Ezra Lau | How to slice sunlight | 2024

In your artist statement, you mention philosophy and self-discovery. Could you share how these ideas manifest in your visual work?

Art is all about communication, and many of my pieces are a visual manifestation of conversations between my conscious and my subconscious. I’ll be ruminating on some idea or situation that is too big or complex, so I’ll break it down into basic shapes to represent my attempts at understanding.

Ezra Lau | Eyes up | 2021

Your pieces invite viewers to “question what lies beneath everyday illusions.” What’s one illusion about modern life that you personally find most interesting to deconstruct?

Capitalism, or rather “capitalist realism” would be the short answer, but in general questioning historical precedent is a recurring theme for me. I think that it’s important to be committed to the search of truth, especially if it challenges existing biases.

Ezra Lau | Decoy Koi | 2025

How do you see the role of digital art evolving in the broader context of contemporary abstract art?

I would love to see more digital art installations and collaborations, particularly in the realm of motion graphics or projection mapping and especially on a monumental scale, like the Las Vegas Sphere. Immersive experiences in VR or other forms of interactive exhibits is something I think about, too.