Robert Ho Tung's granddaughter seeks revamp of city's art scene
A painter from a famous Hong Kong family tells Annemarie Evans how local attitudes towards art as a career choice have barely changed in the decades she has been away
The last time artist Wendy Yeo was in Hong Kong was 21 years ago. Since then, much has changed and this time around Yeo has enjoyed soaking up the modern architecture and vibrancy of the city.
One thing that hasn't changed, she feels, is art's low ranking on the school curriculum, as "artist" is not seen as a proper career by the Hong Kong community.
So while Yeo, the granddaughter of influential Eurasian businessman and philanthropist Sir Robert Ho Tung, has enjoyed finding artistic inspiration here, she's also keen to discuss how art could be better supported.
"Hong Kong artists often struggle to flourish in our city," says Yeo, a semi-abstract painter, who has held more than 30 solo exhibitions internationally, including two in the Chinese section at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. She was in Hong Kong recently for an exhibition of her work - some of which can be viewed at Koru Contemporary Art in Aberdeen - and to visit friends and family.
"In the school curriculum, art seems to be very much at the bottom of the list. Parents say they want their kids to have a proper profession - to be a lawyer, a doctor or an accountant.
"At junior schools, young children are always very creative. They have a natural way of creating design. At 11 years old, they get self-conscious. Even if not everyone is talented, an appreciation of art inspires people to relate to the outside world. It helps with the creativity of the mind and makes people relax."
