Hong Kong Students Prize 2023

If I were to describe the central concept that drives my exhibition, it would be the exploration of decay in both tangible and intangible things. Initially, I explored decay in tangible subject matters such as dried leaves, withered flowers and the human skin — and what it elicits about the fragility and indifference of life. I then explored society’s fixation on youthful beauty, and our shared fear of our bodies deteriorating as we age. My remaining pieces then focus on the lives of people I am familiar with; my grandma and my helper – in which I explore how our desire to seek life’s purpose decays as we tirelessly devote our lives to certain people or lifestyles. This broad investigation on impermeability and life is intended to question what we dedicate our limited time to, and whether it feels meaningful to us.

Fountain pen is one of my favourite drawing tools. Most of the paintings we come into contact with are watercolour paintings, oil paintings or sketches, but a fountain pen is actually a very special tool. It can write and paint. Sometimes it can present a sharp stroke, and sometimes it can create different textures. Although there’s only black and white, it makes use of its contrast to create light and shade, which makes a scene more realistic and has its own unique style. Moreover, the use of the variety of strokes can represent different objects successfully. Even though I live in a modern city, I love the old streets. The street scenery and shops that I pass by every day can actually become beautiful pictures. People always forget the old things, so I chose to use such media to capture this old street in my drawing forever.

The current trend of idolizing celebrities in society is akin to the past worship of grand idols. While it is natural for fans to admire celebrities, excessive idolization has become fanatical, resembling the superstitious behaviors of the past feudal system. For example, just as innocent girls were sacrificed to gods, modern-day fans may engage in online harassment of ordinary netizens. I plan to depict the irrationality and excessive worship of celebrity idolization in the form of a thangka. Celebrities will be portrayed as divine idols, while fans will be depicted as celestial beings, surrounding the stars and creating a sacred atmosphere. Elaborate clouds, gemstones, and floral patterns will symbolize the passion and adoration of the fans. Simultaneously, by illustrating the phenomena of celebrity worship, I aim to provoke reflection among the audience. Through satire and humor, I hope to showcase the absurdity and extremity of celebrity idolization.

“In my opinion, a family is not complete simply by filling it with furniture, but with love and trust. I come from a broken family, living with only my mother and surrounded by a house full of furniture. However, it’s not the same as my childhood, when my father was also a part of our lives. Now, he lives separately in our old house, the place where I have countless memories of my childhood. Although I used to visit him every Saturday, it’s not the same anymore. The furniture remains the same, but people have changed. I have changed. This place, which used to be so familiar and comforting, now only reminds me of painful memories that I find difficult to bear.
In this artwork, I would like to use blue and red cellophane paper to emphasize the significance of my home and the emotions of a child who carries these memories.”

An empty nest life is an endless cycle and reincarnation. Once entered, it will only follow the changing times and fall into an irreversible repetition. I hope that people, upon seeing my works, can introspect and contemplate whether they have inadvertently facilitated the emergence of empty nesters, realizing the need to provide more companionship and care to their parents. While balancing our own family and career development, we should not overlook the emotional needs of our parents.

“What is your impression of Band 3 students in Hong Kong? In a society that rationalizes labeling, people tend to unconsciously label Band 3 students as having poor academic performance and being mischievous. The labeling effect may attack students’ self-esteem.

The artwork titled ‘Band 3 Student Label’ is a thought-provoking piece that delves into the societal impact of educational categorization in Hong Kong. Through this participatory art project,hope to remind people not to view Band 3 students through biased lenses. Inviting individuals from different backgrounds, including students, teachers,and parents, to participate in this Societal Participatory Art project and express their impressions of Band 3 students.The artwork represents the collective perspectives of these participants, with the central figure being a representation of a Band 3 student formed by the labels assigned to them.

A realistic portrait based on the theme of “Lock” with a twist of abstract patterns. This artwork symbolizes the stress and overwhelm of your own thoughts however, at the same time, they bring ideas and creativity into the world as well. The contrasting red and green tones emphasise the dichotomy between them. I took inspiration from the circular patterns as well as the use of a deep red colour in Ashley Blanton’s work. To do this I mixed red paint with soap and blew bubbles to stain the wood. The use of negative space and the realistic style was also inspired by Wan Jin Gim after studying his art.

In this artwork, there is a spaceman facing directly forward, with a background composed of squares of varying sizes. Fish of varying sizes swim among the squares, symbolizing the food chain and the law of the jungle. The spaceman’s glass face shield reflects these squares and fish, but the spaceman’s expression is vacant, as if he cannot see any of it. He simply gazes forward like an observer. This represents how the ecological environment of the ocean is given an extremely low priority in human technological development. People often choose to ignore news related to this issue, such as the Japanese nuclear waste dumping incident, with some claiming that the impact of nuclear waste on the ocean is fleeting. However, the majority of people remain silent and become bystanders.

“Fat or Thin?” is my critique of toxic beauty standards prevalent in society. This painting is set in a train cart, where weight-loss advertisements are most commonly seen. It reflects on these trends and how they negatively impact my confidence and mental health, feeling as if I’m constantly being mocked. This is depicted in the artwork through the wicked smiling faces of everyone, drawing inspiration from Yue Minjun’s “Cynical Realism”, which employs absurd emotions to critique society. I created this artwork with the hope of raising awareness about the harmful slimming culture of our generation and exploring the love-hate relationship I have with my body. To evoke a sense of uneasiness and creepiness, the main tone of the artwork is dark green, accentuated by a significant contrast. The composition also uses the suffocating design of the train cart to symbolize how I was trapped within these societal expectations.

choices are available everywhere in your personal life, you could determine your future by either repeating your own mistakes or choosing a new path.

“The inspiration for this piece comes from my personal experiences. I used to impose immense academic pressure on myself, constantly brainwashing myself with the belief that it was what my parents wanted. However, just like the chains depicted in the painting, I was the one restraining myself.

Looking back, what I thought was a noble spirit of self-sacrifice was merely a way to justify my own dissatisfaction with life, again and again.

“If it weren’t for studying, why would I give up painting?”
“If it weren’t for studying, why would I have no social life?”

I hope to give this artwork to my parents, who have been misunderstood by me but have silently supported me all along.

A large part of my work has been centred around the theme of beauty and decay, due to the fear of the natural life cycle coming to an end. In particular, impermanence and deconstruction through earthy shades of neutral-colours. One dry media work, entitled Lost belongings, was a representation of healing and disease, how it correlates to the journey in life. The natural world intrigued me, its mobility to control time, weather and preserve natural life. The story for The painted veil utilising reusable plastic and concrete fused into traditional Thai Sarongs. This is to reflect the long hours of labour villagers have to endure with detailed rice grains, fungi and organic organisms I collected during my time farming in Isaan-Thailand. Thus, encouraging our audience to let go of all the darkness caused by COVID-19 that no longer corrupts the lives of animals and plants who have spent their entire lives discovering cycles, patterns, and solutions for mankind. Ultimately, I hope to have embodied the lives of these animals across my work and represent their death in rice fields with the theme of breaking free.

In this bustling city at night, endless work makes people tired. Why not take a break? Going for a short walk or sitting in an alley can relax our mind and body.

‘Resurrected Roses’ is a mixed media piece, reflecting the difficulty of preserving what once was. Woven in-between each tear is a different etching print, capturing the process of a dying rose. The rose is symbolic of many things; love, beauty, pain – all words of impermanence. There is a feeling of comfort within routine, however as hard as we may try to preserve ourselves from change, this is inevitable. There is both beauty and pain in the comfort of impermanence. Whilst the loss of someone/something we love fills us with grief, we must acknowledge the beauty of living in a transient world, taking each opportunity we are given. This piece is a reminder that there is always beauty to be found within decay.

“Do you still have the innocent heart and boundless curiosity of your childhood?
As we grow older, many people forget that they once had that precious curiosity. Let’s try our best to recall the curious self of the past, and you will surely gain priceless happiness.
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This painting illustrates how children can have such infinite and wild imagination more than any other adults. As the main character in the middle is creating worlds and creatures, with the support of his father, his imagination continue to spread out infinitely in form of a spiral. It is important for parents to support and embrace them to have a heart that “dare to imagine and create.

With the rapid development of the Internet, more and more people have become internet celebrities in pursuit of quick traffic and profits. They showcase their talents online to gain high popularity and tips. In my work, I demonstrate how people use various advantages to attract the public’s attention, such as holding lipstick or a microphone, representing internet celebrities gaining attention through their talents and outstanding appearance. The abundance of roses and hearts in the imagery represents the fans’ fervent love for internet celebrities. Through this work, I hope to bring attention to the rampant issue of internet celebrity culture.

“The nuances, complexities and values that make up our humanity are concepts that deeply intrigue me. Our lives are each a unique narrative respective to the individual, however, commonality and connection are born through our shared experiences.
A large part of my work has been centered around the theme of place, due to the ability to find one’s identity and its connection to places in time. In my works, I aim to depict and capture the impermanence of place, the reality of segregated connections and disparities within societies. Using metaphors as nuances of human identity within a place; the place being the society we live in, where we deem ourselves a part of and portraying a disparity of how each individual is uniquely distinct, focusing on human segregation vs. connection.
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This is the picture represents the true appearance of a woman seeing her own reflection in a mirror, her favorite activities, games, roles, etc. And use blue, purple and pink for visual distinction.

Digging through my childhood possessions, I found rubber stamps handmade by my mum a decade ago. These stamps depict whimsical characters, mostly imaginary friends that accompanied my play times during childhood. These characters are painted in their original 2D form, walking away from my dollhouse, into a multi-dimensional future. I hope this piece can serve as a memento of childhood innocence, joy and creativity, as well as exploring the transience of time. This painting also aims to reflect on what the youth takes and leaves behind as one grows up, and what gifts we can keep with us as we journey on to the next chapter of life.