Reminiscent of the ‘beat movement’ in nineteen-fifties America, Hetain embodies the philosophy of living in the moment through his performance art and sculptures. Perhaps his statements are even truer to the concept of being, in that they carry no bias: “In terms of consumerism, Hollywood is such a big machine, and we can’t help but have it inhabit our world” he stated, “some might say it’s brainwashing, but I like to study both sides. I love superhero films as well as arthouse movies and identify with it all. People can take away from it what they want.” Indeed, whether he is putting together a glimmering Spiderman costume, sharing anecdotes from a British-Asian perspective, or imitating our resident movie stars, his observations about identity are as playful as they are profound. Currently a New Wave Associate at Sadler's Wells Theatre, with installations across the world – including the Tate Modern and Chatterjee and Lal gallery in Mumbai – Hetain is noted as a professional conceptual artist.
What can we expect from your upcoming show ‘American Boy’?
It’s a one man show, just under an hour long, which is in some ways a self-portrait but is also open to the audience’s perception of themselves. It flows, has several layers and is ultimately a very entertaining show. It is also reflective of a particular generation, and illustrates how popular culture affects us. It’s made entirely of film quotes, covering a range of archetypes – from the heroes to the gangsters to the baddies - which I perform in different voices and movements. For example if I was to ask you to make a list from memory of all the different movies and characters quotes that make you who you are, that was basically the process. This is quite revealing if you think about it; what has influenced you. In that way it’s also quite a funny show. The themes of humour and identity tie in with our experience as humans wanting to belong, or sometimes wishing we were something else and relating to the screen as a result.
Yes, you did a TED talk ('Who am I? Think Again') where one of the punch-lines is something like ‘I learnt this not from my father, but from Spiderman’. Would you say comedy in subversion is a big part of your work?
Yes absolutely, the reason being that it is often about identity which evokes difficult material: racism, minority cultures and fitting in with society. I want to be careful with that subject matter because I don't want to preach. The humour invites people into the conversation, and it is also the way I engage most with works. Whether it is theatre, people or television a little lightness acts like a sweetener doesn’t it?
How did you fall into performance art?
Well, I’ve always had an interest, and I’d say it started with drawing; oil paintings etc. I took the craft further at GCSE level and at university art really became a place for me to think. It was more than just making pictures. So my practice at the moment follows on from that training. I fell into the installations whereby they were showcased in galleries. I also performed a best man’s speech for my friend who had a mixed race wedding, and the material seemed to go down really well.
Tell us more about yourexploration of identity?
Well the basis of my art comes from my experiences as a child. It’s a common story if you like. I grew up in Bolton, just outside of Manchester and I was the only brown kid in class. I experienced racism both physically and mentally, and went through that first and second generation desire to fit in and the expression of that. You know, you try to dress and walk differently, play with your accent perhaps, and it’s not just immigrant culture. All children struggle to fit in and bullying happens to a lot of people and affects us similarly. Whether it’s the friends we keep, our social circles or the jobs, but I don't want to militantly complain; I’ve got no interest in being a victim. It’s more about what we can do so it won’t happen to anyone else, and my artwork is a way of taking action. Identity is so fluid and flippy and I break down stereotypes. You know when people see me, a bearded Asian man, they may make certain assumptions, but I don’t want to judge either and equally consider it training for myself because I’m human too and can be guilty of the same. What I do is promote a more realistic, complex look at identity.
And how would you say your cultural background may have influenced you?
My folks were born in Africa, grew up in India and emigrated here in the late sixties. When you’re multilingual, there’s something about you that understands there’s not just one way of doing something. That's why I look at things through different perspectives: in sculptures, photographs, my live shows. When I’m using language in my work – from Chinese translators to sporting an American or Bolton accent, I’m changing one little thing to show how differently it can be interpreted. Maybe one way sounds funnier where the other comes out more straight-cut. Again that feeds into making identity flippier. My work is also influenced by my working class background. A lot of my aunties and uncles might be factory workers and I inherited that ethic of hard work and creation with my hands. That always enters into my art, from making sculptures to spending five months on painting a superhero costume!
Highlights?
The first thing I did got picked up by a lot of great theatres in the dance field and they've been supporting me every since. I also feel held by a lot of places: Manchester’s where I grew up, Nottingham was where I studied, and London is where I work. However the TED talk and making a Ford Fiesta sculpture with my dad are the definite highpoints. With the former, the content of my work was made accessible for so many who wouldn’t necessarily visit theatres or galleries. I get so many random emails from people around the world who are connecting to the ideas. It made me feel what I was doing mattered. On the visual arts side, I converted my old car, given to me by my father, into a transformer robot; that’s also on YouTube. Again, I’m reaching people honestly and inviting a conversation rather than placing barriers.
There's something about framing intellectual ideas through physicality that makes them more direct and accessible.
Yes, because it is essentially about communication and everyone has a human body! Using language, clothes and movement is then a central tool. Filming stuff in my house and the digital platforms are also everyday- it’s how we engage in life isn’t it?
What has been the biggest obstacle?
Probably fighting against being put in an exotic box. Because my work is largely viewed by a western audience, it becomes something more narrow and other to mainstream. My work is for everyone, minority or mainstream. I think that will always be the challenge, but again that fuels my me and is not necessarily something that annoys. It forces me to assess new ways of communication and understanding.
What has been your biggest influence?
Eddie Murphy. From the eighties into the nineties, before ‘Goodness Gracious Me’, there were no Asians on screen and felt the closest to being like us. He also talked about race and marginalisation with real humour in a way that engaged a broad audience.
Finally, do you have a personal Motto?
Take a second look. Be open to seeing things from more than one angle.
‘American Boy’ is showing at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in Islington on the 28th and 29th of May
