Hong Kong Students Prize 2018

“The desire to fight loneliness is probably one of the reasons God creates humans. Analogously, I create these characters to pass the days with me. They are
never just portraits of humans, but, preferably, are actual humans with unique consciousness.”

“1909 Paris Air Show is a painting based on a photograph from the early 20th century, by photographer Leon Gimpel. It is one of the earliest coloured photos in the world. The intention to recreate the photo on a canvas is to explore the beauty of reality within the fabric of time.”

“I am not a person who is willing to follow rules or go with the flow. People tell me, “you should draw a girl, you should draw a landscape, you should do
this, do that.” I want to be an artist for FUN, instead of making something pretty. I have my own point of view and I want to express it through my work.
This portrait did not start as a portrait. In the very beginning, I wanted to practice my drawing skills by drawing a kimono with a flower pattern. When
I finished the kimono, people just kept saying “You should draw a portrait of a pretty girl! It makes the drawing better.” This made me really angry, so I
decided to draw a smiley face instead. The smiley face is the best thing, it looks lovely – and it also looks fake! People just love fake things, they feel like a mask to cover all emotions. You cannot tell what is behind the smile and this is exactly how I look at those people who tell me I should make something pretty. To me, this ‘practice drawing’ has become a tool to voice out my feelings and point of view on what art should be. Art should have a sense of humour, and this is the best part!”

“Advancement of technology and development of electronic products has led to an inordinate increase in the number of technology addicts globally. Hong Kong, the most connected place in the world, is no exception. The inspiration for this drawing came from an experience on a train during which my smartphone ran out of battery, and I spent thirty minutes simply observing other passengers. I realised I was the only one not using any electronic devices. A middle-aged woman played ‘Candy Crush Saga’ on her large-screen smartphone. I heard the noise of pop music from headphones worn by a youngster. A young girl took hundreds of selfies, and selected the prettiest edited photo to post on a social platform. In the past decade, it has become normal for all citizens to indulge themselves in consumer electronics anytime, anywhere. The one who keeps themselves away from the habitual craving
of high-tech products becomes the anomaly in the modern society. I try to bring forth questions through this illustration. In the age of advanced science and technology, what is your role in this train? How do you view current society? Are you a self-confessed internet addict, as part of the ‘normality’, or the heterogeneous one, questioning whether you are an anomaly?”

“Even in a place full of people, you can still feel a sense of loneliness, followed by silence, followed by voices in your head. However, it is your insecurities that speak the loudest; these insecurities latch onto you and are amplified through your actions, judgments and words. The repetition of faces reflects the constant echoing of the voices inside my head.”

“In Disarrayed Self, I explore the crux of my identity and deconstruct it to reveal intricate layers and obscure representations of myself. Growing up, I was
confused about my identity, finding it difficult to place myself in the world. Insecurities built up and I was often lost in thought. However, I could ground myself through art-making – be it sketching a face, creating a collage, or painting a flower, I felt at peace when I started on a blank canvas. This piece allows me to exhibit my escalating diffidence and show my true self, each element being meaningful to my identity. Oriental motifs represent my cultural heritage. Everyday objects and flora paint over melancholic scenes that reveal my internal emotions. Male faces, gazing away, reflect a lack of confidence about my individuality. Utilising a variety of media, I investigate how the human figure is comprised of a myriad of surfaces. Tracing paper and acetate create varying depths and transparencies, revealing undertones or blurring what I wish to hide. Fabric and paper cutouts suggest that I am grounded by reality, despite the work’s abstract, dream-like quality. The contrast between the rough graphite, blotchy acrylic and vibrant paper creates disparity in focus, alluding to conflicting thoughts about my identity. I created an assemblage that is cluttered, like my thoughts, but connected by my identity.”

“There are many foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, however many of them do not have a safe and private place to spend time in. They are forced to build temporary space with cardboard and drift around with all the items they have.”

“Love is a gamble – some people win and some lose. When seeking love, men act instinctively but women act more carefully. Despite this, they are united in their pursuit of true love. My use of pyrography can be considered a metaphor for an ‘unforgettable love’ – in Chinese culture, this kind of love is described as being ‘branded’ on one’s heart. Further symbolism is used to suggest the different characters of men and women. An eagle represents the strength and majesty of men, the warrior mask symbolises their bravery and loyalty. A peacock represents the beauty and tenderness of women, the rose symbolises their sincere love. A key represents the loyalty of a man in love. Only fitting one lock, it shows that in his heart, there is only her. The King and Queen cards represent men and women’s roles in ‘love gambling’. The Tai Chi circle in the centre evokes harmony and balance, with fire and water symbolising men and women, respectively. These elements are mutually exclusive, suggesting friction between the sexes. However, love encourages tolerance and forgiveness, allowing them to live peacefully together. The use of metallic media echoes the Chinese sentiment of an invincible love ‘more solid than gold’. No matter if it’s a gamble – everyone wants to find their true love. Don’t you?”

“My art is often influenced by the countries, cities and apartments I moved between whilst growing up, in addition to my current location. Most of my art is a visual representation of my struggle with forming an identity, longing for a home I am not sure I truly have and an attempt to slow down and appreciate how far I have come. This painting was created after I moved to Happy Valley in Hong Kong and features a residential building in the area. Although the subject is old, it seems new and interesting to me, a newcomer to Happy Valley. It feels fascinating yet foreign, therefore I substituted its true colours for a brighter, more unnatural palette, in order to convey the feelings of alienation it prompted within me. The decision to paint the building, rather than digitally manipulate a photograph, was an attempt to force myself to consider and familiarise myself with every detail of it. I believe this truly connects me with the building, making the piece a better representation of my perspective and my endeavour to make Happy Valley my home. The title derives from the dilemma I felt when trying to identify what Happy Valley means to me. It is an established area, which I had previously visited, yet it feels new to me as a resident.”

“In this photograph, I question the stereotypes of Hong Kong’s claustrophobic nature and demonstrate the existence of order within this chaotic, yet intricate city. I aspire to reveal the positive social elements that exhibit the best of Hong Kong’s intrinsic and often overlooked intimacy. Hong Kong’s public housing estates are characterised by uniform tower blocks, representing stagnation and decay to many. Images of repetitive forms exclude the people who live there and replace them with alienating labels, such as ‘rubbish youth’, which are often spouted by the media, removing humanity from the landscape. In response, I use drone photography to reveal a hidden organic beauty from above, allowing people to see isolated elements of humanity, concealed by concrete and glass, as part of a more intricate social network. On closer inspection, each car, airconditioning unit and laundry line reminds us that Hong Kong is composed of individuals with specific desires and dreams. The juxtaposition between the broader order and the irregularities of these components echoes the essence of humanity. What appear as isolated and decaying remnants of life instead reveal an organic system offering endless possibilities in attempts to thrive. Just as these estates are not lifeless, my creativity can also be more. By adopting an unorthodox perspective, my photograph deconstructs our urban landscape, creating a new sense of order.”

“This artwork depicts an urban development, drawn on two wooden blocks, a natural and basic building material that resonates with the subject matter. My affection for architecture and urban development, present from a young age, prompted me to create this drawing. In our world, urban development is endless. By leaving the drawing unfinished, I encourage the audience to use their own creativity and continue the scene within their mind. Reversing the arrangement of the blocks connects the two cities, in the same way that our world is formed by different countries or cities with different styles. A combination of my previous imaginings of buildings, my drawing speaks of modernism and creativity. In my opinion, ba city should be functional; lack of land is a serious problem faced by the world and especially in Hong Kong. This drawing provides me an opportunity to investigate how to alleviate this problem.”

“I am Cantonese and was born and raised in Hong Kong. However, having attended international school since the age of five and now living in Discovery Bay – a very isolated and ‘whitewashed’ community in Hong Kong, I have become highly influenced by Western culture. In this painting, I am depicted wearing clothing popular in Western culture, and due to Western influence, also popular in Hong Kong. Yet, I have embroidered Chinese flowers directly onto the painting to demonstrate that despite becoming ‘whitewashed’, I am still Chinese, and this will never change. The addition of Chinese embroidery suggests a clash between the two cultures, however, they complement rather than contradict each other. This sentiment is echoed in the phrase ‘Where East Meets West’, often used to describe Hong Kong. The title Seamed is a play on the idea of the embroidery being stitched directly onto the canvas and also the idea of my Chinese and Western influences being ‘seamed’ or bound together within me.”

“The mixed-media piece soporific ballet aims to capture the figure of a ballerina whilst off-stage, where her exhaustion from the difficult task of perfecting her ballet technique takes over and she is finally able to rest. It attempts to highlight the sheer amount of hard work undertaken by all dancers and athletes alike; and the immense perseverance and commitment they must demonstrate in order to perform well.”

“Forming shapes reminiscent of tree roots, the books in this image symbolise culture and knowledge, qualities in which Chinese history and the origin of civilisation are deeply rooted. In a contemporary social context, new and foreign cultures continuously permeate and mix with existing traditional cultural values, simultaneously driving the development of international cities and diluting valuable local history and traditional beliefs. The water depicted here represents the ‘river’ of history and acts as a mirror that reflects the vulnerable state of traditional culture and knowledge. Incoming cultures affect the inheritance of traditions, deterring individuals from recognising their cultural identity. The fragility of traditional values is further echoed by the precarious state of the books as they float on the water. Just as they and their reflections can easily be disturbed, so is ancient culture is easily washed away.”

“This piece is inspired by traditional Ukrainian folk art. The abundance of patterns and details, combined with distorted perspective and organic shapes, reflects the way Ukrainians perceive the world. Static goes hand in hand with dynamic, light is accompanied by darkness – we see this contrast everywhere. Food is another important aspect of our culture, absorbing our history, superstitions and mythology. Thus, I used food and cutlery to represent my country: the forks and knives in the middle of the canvas symbolise Dnipro, the biggest river in Ukraine; the tall loaves of bread stand for
the Carpathian mountains and the fish represents Odesa, the biggest fish providing region. If there were a line drawn around all objects on the table, it would form an outline of Ukraine, the features as symbolised through different food corresponding to their geographical locations. Pattern plays an important role in Ukrainian culture. Two crossing lines represent a person’s destiny, a pattern containing multiple lines and shapes can represent a tiny universe where destinies intersect. I incorporated patterns using blocks of colour found within the objects, leading the eye to centre of the composition; and through the small printed leaves on the background. This piece reflects how I, an artist seeking inspiration from my native culture, re-analyse it from almost
eight thousand kilometres away, in Hong Kong.”

“This piece portrays the changes I have witnessed in Tai Po Tai Yuen Market, a lively and bustling place that I used to visit with my mother when I was young. Although the indoor market is more developed, it is the outdoor market that brings back warm memories from my childhood. Three transparent
acrylic boards are layered, acting as windows to show the progression of our society through the development of the markets. In the background, a deserted indoor market is illustrated through a cool colour palette, suggesting my detachment to this modern marketplace. In contrast, the foreground depicts a vibrant and crowded scene composed of warm colours, which convey my attachment to the outdoor market with its nostalgic environment and human connections. As our society advances, I feel as though a sense of community and belonging is lost and forgotten. The layering of transparent acrylic boards represents the fading sense of human connection in our community.”

“Tudi Gong (The God of Earth) is a household guardian protecting and blessing a family. Different families decorate and worship their Tudi Gongs in different manners. The different relation of families to their Tudi Gongs is reflected in the physical appearance and also the living environment of the Gods. Standing in a row in the old housing estates, Tudi Gongs form a unique cityscape and are indeed one of the significant visual cultures of Hong Kong.”

“According to the documentary Before the Flood (2016, National Geographic), climatologists predict that the Northern Arctic will have completely melted within 40 years. Adopting the style of Chinese propaganda during Cultural Revolution, which was intended to brainwash the public, this artwork questions the current efforts of the government of China – one of the largest polluting countries in the world – in resolving climate change. I attempted to raise awareness and emphasise the significance of duplication by using linocut, printmaking technique and digital manipulation. I converted my pieces into three stamps, asked my audience to chop them onto postcards, and send them from Beijing to Hong Kong to show the importance of spreading the message. I also
created a local campaign by distributing these postcards in Tsim Sha Tsui, asking people to sign and return to me as a promise to our environment. I hope to raise awareness about climate change, encouraging my audience to reflect on their daily actions and their impact on the environment.”

“I have been trying to do something for ’Rapper Dragon’ after his death. Tomorrow is another racing day. Even though I know that painting cannot change anything, I still believe in art.”

“In an age where we have so much control over how others perceive us, I wanted to create a self-portrait in which I depict myself candidly. I want it to appear playful and informal, defying the notion that females have to be poised and elegant. Inspired by Jenny Saville, I used loose brushstrokes to capture the imperfections in my

appearance, embracing all my flaws.”