Hong Kong Students Prize 2021

“This world can seem marvelously convincing until the alarm collapses the illusion as it evicts me from my hiding place. Nostalgia might be escapism, denial of a painful present, a beautiful lie dressed up in sepia.”  

“Within this piece, I aimed to depict the replacement of the physical classroom by the online classroom as a consequence of the pandemic which put a pause on face-to-face learning in 2020. I wanted to portray the reality of the mixed experiences of students who have had to adapt to a new normal, yet I still focused on capturing their vitality, perseverance and togetherness evident even through an online class meeting where everyone is separated and at home. I drew portraits of my classmates in vivid colours in complete contrast to the black background and white outlines of the physical classroom.”  

“My self-portraits, entitled Absence, represent the feeling of loss and emptiness people face when they lose someone they love, like a piece of them is missing. This lends to the idea that in the absence of others, we feel as if we are incomplete. With the medium I used, I wanted to show how this can be a restrictive cycle in which they are trapped within the boundaries of the canvas.”  

“This is a depiction of bamboo used for scaffolding in Hong Kong. It is culturally symbolic as Hong Kong is the only city that still uses this natural material for scaffolding. The composition is like a depiction of Hong Kong’s skyline in the future if the housing problem continues. My intention is to express the density and the lack of space in the city which is a pressing issue for Hong Kong.”  

“The ocean is the mother of life and also like the mother of us. This artwork shows both the circle of life, and another circle of humankind harming their Mother Ocean – as well as the entire life chain.”  

“I created this work in oder to alert people‘s attention to water pollution. I combined daily rubbish and sea animals together, morphing into new creatures. The idea is inspired by the phenomenon of water pollution. If sea animals eat the rubbish, thinking it will satiate their hunger, they may actually change the structure of their DNA. This is a worthwhile issue for people to think about. When people are enjoying my art, I hope they will also have a deep reflection.”  

“This self-portrait painting serves as a reflection on changes I underwent, from passive to assertive. A few symbols signalled this change. My hair was the first to go. I cut it short. Feminine passivity exited with the introduction of masculine clothing, the formal shirt hanging triumphantly upright. I wear my old dress, flamboyant in its richness. The composition draws from ‘The Death of Marat’ in the arrangement of negative space, and the limp elongated arm, a reference to Michelangelo’s Pieta, and serene abandonment. And with this fresh strength, I tell myself, ‘Dear Love, passivity is no more’.” 

“At this day and age, human trafficking persists in Hong Kong; yet the city has no comprehensive anti-trafficking laws protecting those who are victims to this widespread atrocity. DIAL FOR HELP is a satirical commentary on the silencing of modern slavery, being an issue swept under the rug. The telephone sits at the focal point of the painting, with a note instructing victims to “DIAL FOR HELP”, though the phone is disconnected anyway, and these calls go unheard, thus alluding to the Hong Kong law overlooking the cry for justice. Likewise, the indistinct figures of the painting refer to the sufferers: the majority being migrant domestic workers who are exploited with forced labour. Explored through shape, value, and form, the obscure representation portrays the censorship and oppression of the voices of these anonymous figures subjugated to abusive treatment. Through this painting, I wish to draw attention and raise awareness for human rights.”  

“Isn’t it funny how utterly lonely you can feel when you’re surrounded by people? I never know where I belong. At times I catch myself drifting through life, observing it from the outside as if I am passing by the window of an old wonton restaurant and noticing strangers having dinner together. This is a place that I have passed by many times without giving it a second thought, yet at this moment, alone and on my way home, I felt like I was becoming a bystander in my own life; isolated from the rest of the world, watching myself watch these strangers.    

Sometimes it’s difficult to comprehend the fact that everyone around you, these faceless, transient souls that you only pass by for a brief moment, all have their own lives; and they are as complex and intricate as yours. All filled with happy moments and heartache, and everything that lies in the liminal spaces in between.  It’s this feeling of sonder.”  

“As a student, I am lost in darkness—a monster swallowed me. I am frightened because it is biting my brain and pressing on my body. Hiding is my Salvation. Sketching the dazzling circle monster brain was inspired by what we see while closing the eyes. Inspired by complex emotions, I painted the people in black palette. I think feelings are characters, so I drew them into diversified poses and expressions like struggling faces in order to show the suffering. When I am sitting in the classroom, I feel gloomy occasionally. The desk is a relatively personal space for students. I observe that the drawer is capable for the size of head which links the idea of hiding into the drawer away from the monster. The colourful person is naked and lethargic. It delivers the idea of being seen through by the monster, and we are defenceless against it.”  

“A cow, in Chinese culture, is described as a hardworking but stupid animal. The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) system teaches students examination skills instead of critical thinking. We are educated to become diligent but brainless, identical animals, that are incapable of doubting the powerful authorities that constructed the system. Inspired by Lucian Freud’s etching techniques, I hope to lead viewers to reflect on the brainwashing in the Hong Kong education system and how it kills individuality.”  

“This artwork is inspired by incidents of cyber bullying. Words on the Internet, as well as words during face-to-face communications, can hurt people’s emotions just like weapons. My work aims to raise awareness that some words can be hurtful. Everyone should care for others’ emotions by thinking twice before you speak. Hence, deeper bonds among friends and relatives can be made, creating a more harmonious environment.” 

“Art should be appreciated by the eye, not the camera, and frankly, life should be the same as well. In the modern era of technological development and artificial intelligence, people are often controlled by the complicated, virtual world they forget about the simple bliss of reality. A world constructed to reflect reality, is becoming the reality. My piece talks about people, our identities, our lives, and how all of those have changed with technology. I advise you, before you take pictures of my work, do take a good look, and think about whether the person by the table is same as you.” 

“A visual representation of how the values of liberty and autonomy, symbolised by this iconic statue, collide with the redefining of such concepts in a new age of digitalisation.”  

“A surreal painting depicting a forest with a lot of rubbish, where the animals are being negatively affected by the pollution: a monkey drinking from a plastic bottle of water, a lion wrapped in a plastic bag, a monkey wearing a plastic bag as a hat and sunglasses discarded by humans, a hummingbird picking up a cigarette, an elephant breathing out smoke, and a monkey eating cup noodles. The tree has evolved into a claw, helping nature to clean up the rubbish. This work reflects on the fact that, nowadays, humans are polluting nature, and it really affects animals and plants.”  

““廢青” is a Hong Kong term used to label youngsters today as losers as they are not fulfilling social expectations. I use famous celebrities, who all have the common feature of behaving away from the social expectation of what a path to success should be like when they were young. Instead, they followed their heart and strived for what they truly loved, which turned out to result in great achievements and are respected by the public. I present them in lazy images to contradict their success, to arouse people’s reflection about their unreasonable standardisation on what success and failure are. If using today’s criterion, aren’t they all losers?” 

“The pandemic has made me realise the importance of real-life connections as we are all very much separated and isolated during the times of Covid-19. Having my family members around me, I have noticed how family bonding really matters in my life. This is what inspired me to create an artwork dedicated to my family connection. This artwork allows me to show how my family connection strengthens over time across the panels.”  

“Hong Kong is a very dense city which has been described as overpopulated. Compared to other cities, Hong Kong does not have a lot of space, which leads to housing problems. I wanted to communicate that idea through my composition by densely packing and overlapping my etchings.” 

“‘破地獄‘ (Breaking Hell) is a ritual performed during traditional Chinese Taoist funerals in which robed priests circle a lit fire along to thunderous music, leading the dead from Hell to the afterlife. This ceremony is still performed today, and with this artwork, I highlight my people’s reverence towards those passed away by illustrating our dedication to funerals. I emphasised the tension between the priest and his shadow to show how he is able to bargain with a higher power from the great beyond.”  

“Red, white, and blue fabric bags are used for moving in HK. From a bird’s eye view, the fabric appears to be floating above the city, as if struggling to find a place to settle down or simply floating away on the breeze. At close inspection, newspaper clippings reveal the struggle of parents in finding their child a suitable learning setting in the city’s competitive atmosphere. In time, Hong Kong’s youth inevitably leave Hong Kong to seek opportunities abroad.”