Elvis Portraitist Tommy Kha on Inspiration, Backlash, and What Happened at the Memphis Airport

Pitchfork: So, what happened? When were you made aware that your work had been removed?

Tommy Kha: I was made aware that there was something going on. I got an email on March 8, and I had a phone meeting with the UrbanArt Commission on Thursday, March 10. That’s when I was told they would give me a heads up that they were going to move forward to remove the work. At that time, I was made more aware that what was happening that Tuesday kind of grew to something larger. I didn’t really think much of it, because people are free to speak what they want, as long as it doesn’t harm me. But I was reassured that they would let me know before they made any decision, and that if I was open, to talk further with a representative from the airport, at a time when I could choose, which was Wednesday the 16th.

Someone took a video and sent a screengrab sometime that weekend that they didn’t see it. I didn’t really know if they knew what the piece looked like—my face was on it, but I wasn’t really sure. Another friend of mine went down Tuesday evening, before the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, and confirmed that it was taken down. I was not told. The UrbanArt Commission, as far as I know, was not told. So, it was removed over a week ago, without me being told beforehand. When I asked about it in the meeting, they confirmed it right away, and I just stopped with any negotiations.

That’s such a short timeline—the piece had only been up since mid-February, right?

I think it went up at the end of January of this year, and there was more of an official announcement by mid-February. It wasn’t that long.

With some of the local reporting I saw, it sounded as though some of the negative feedback was racially motivated, but there weren’t too many details about that. Were you told about what the specifics were, or were you just given a broad-strokes explanation?

I honestly have no idea. I actually am still going on the record that I’m confused by the messaging. This art collection was supposed to show the vast variety of different voices from the visual arts community. We do not have a lot of spaces to begin with, at all.

People are free to speak their minds—I’m open to whatever people want to say. They can disagree with my art, as long as it doesn’t harm me. Don’t stab me or something.

I’m confused by the whole thing and the airport’s lack of transparency. I know that they have been trying, and I think everyone’s been trying. I think we can all do better, and that we should have a conversation about this and how this can better benefit people in some ways.

I’d love to hear a bit more about your own relationship with Elvis Presley and Elvis impersonators, what it was like for you growing up so close to all of that.