15 May 2012 – 2 Jun 2012
iPRECIATION Hong Kong
Featuring the latest paintings, sculptures, paper works and digital media works from the four Hong Kong local artists
iPreciation Hong Kong is proud to present a group exhibition of four Hong Kong local artists- Tse Yim On, Hung Keung, Ho Yuen Leungand Au Ka Wai, featuring their latest creations done between 2011 to 2012. Graduated from the Fine Arts Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the arts education in college years were an enlightening experience to all four of them. Each individual later developed artworks that penetrate a variety of issues and themes. This time four of them join hands once again for the current exhibition, engage in four distinct media in conveying their yearning for the good old days before radical changes took place in their hometown.
TSE Yim On’s representation of the city’s public housing reflects his expression of hope and love; as those of the post-70s generation portray their collective memories with overflowing sensitivity. TSE borrows iconographies familiar in the post-70s, such as popular culture’s Animation, Comics and Games (ACG), the old Cantonese film ‘Buddha’s Palm’, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ and ‘The Little Red Riding Hood’; coupling these household names and influential political figures as his subject matter. TSE’s mischievous collage of imageries, the peaceful and humble housing estates relay an immensely complex political situation; as the tension and violence gradually emerges from the surreal landscapes he created. The artist observes at a distance, hiding the lively public housing culture beneath his vibrant hi-colour façade. By juxtaposing the public housing estates with a bygone era, TSE’s works crystallize the ups and downs of a city into fond memories.
HUNG Keung’s video works often take place on main roads, however, this time he adopts a contrasting approach and bases the featured work on his experience of wandering the communities of Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok (The Yau Tsim Mong District). Almost schizoid in nature, the protagonist in the video embodies two identities: She wears six different outfits that represent twelve unique characters, and leads us through the streets in these districts. The screen is divided into sections- top, bottom, left and right, acting as four coordinates to the story’s main structure, and as metaphor to the lateral movements on the streets, and the vertical landscape viewed from within the buildings. The fragmented imageries move and stop, at times a mixture of the two, ushering the audience to follow closely the footsteps of HUNG Keung; as we appreciate the mingling of old and new in each district, and witness the vicissitudes of the community.
As global warming becomes a serious issue today, HO Yuen Leungcreates a pristine world, in the midst of a deteriorating living environment in Hong Kong. He collects scraps from nature, and looks for trunks of wood people have long forgotten, and brings them back to life through his works. HO’s works embody a strong will, and they manifest the power of nature, amidst the concrete ‘forest’ we reside in. Hoping to resist our ‘daily order’ with the natural order, HO’s sculptures also convey a humanistic concern and optimism towards the material world.
With a religious-like dedication, AU Ka Wai tore up layer after layer of papers, and represents on a two-dimensional surface, the crushed and compressed networks of bustling Nathan Road and Gloucester Road; the piling up of sheathes of paper suggesting to viewers an expansive space contained within these networks. Paradoxically, AU utilizes the simplest material of soft paper, via this repetitive mode of creation, to visualize trails of harsh asphalt pavements. This method challenges the physicality and conventional usage of the material, and reminds us how the notion of ‘soft power’ can shape a city, or even a country. We see a sense of calm entwined with passion through AU’s distinct visual system; especially in his work ‘”卍” which touches on the theme of religious practice, it brings to our senses an awe-inspiring balance between vigor and gentleness.