A ‘platform for community, conversation’: expanded Hong Kong art gallery’s debut show is a dialogue between two young artists about the distortion of memories
- Hong Kong’s Woaw Gallery open its new site with a show of ultra-contemporary art, which owner Kevin Poon says is in demand despite a dip in the economy
- Another gallery is championing young artists in its annual HKForeword show of fresh art school graduates’ work that gives ‘a glimpse of what’s happening now’
The thing about reminiscences is that they are never fully in focus. No matter how painful, exhilarating, or beautiful past moments were, they can never be recalled exactly.
This is what the two young artists behind a duo exhibition at Hong Kong’s Woaw Gallery, called “The Record, The Double, and The Singular”, are trying to represent.
Hongkonger Kitty Ng and South Korean artist Taedong Lee have both tapped into personal memories, aided by photographs, to recreate scenes from their childhoods while conveying the inevitable distortion of memories.
The show is really two solo exhibitions connected by the same theme, with Lee’s works being shown at Woaw’s new site at 3 Sun Street, in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai neighbourhood, while Ng’s are displayed at Woaw’s existing space down the road at No 5.
It is a dialogue between two Asian artists who grew up around the same time, says Kevin Poon, the 42-year-old founder of Woaw, who has held many exhibitions of young artists at his gallery since it was founded four years ago.
But there is a sadness to the paintings. In An Exceptionally Bright Night (2022), for example, the family are riding on horseback and have stopped in the middle of a body of water.
The fact that it appears to be night time makes the situation menacing.
Another painting, called Escaping (2022), shows 13 figures in a boat sitting or standing with fists in the air.
Again set at night, there is a strange glow reflecting on the water.
Ng’s works depict the mundane interactions of friends and family members while providing glimpses into intimate, private worlds.
S to S depicts two people sipping the same drink, and in And I Was Like, HUH?, two friends are chatting while sitting on the floor.
These works by such young artists – Ng is 24 and Lee 33 – belong to the so-called ultra-contemporary movement, which Poon says are in strong demand in Hong Kong despite a dip in the city’s economy.
“The bigger aspiration [behind Woaw] is just having the space to [showcase] artists,” says the 42-year-old entrepreneur, who is also a DJ with his own streetwear label, as well as the co-founder of food and beverage group Leading Nation.
“I just wanted to build this platform for young creatives to have that community, to have that conversation, to have peers and a feedback loop. Because being an artist is quite a lonely journey.”
The annual HKForeword exhibition showcases work from young Hong Kong artists, and its 12th edition features 10, most of whom have never shown in a commercial exhibition before.
“We really enjoy feeling the new crop of artists that are making artwork of their generation,” de Tilly says. “It gives us a glimpse into the psyche of what’s happening now. Art is really important because it’s something that lasts to tell the story of our time.”
And it seems that people are receptive to their work: HKForeword sold seven pieces ahead of its opening to the public on August 24. Three went to an overseas buyer.
She has also observed that the works are less overtly political, since Hong Kong artists are no longer sure what is allowed under the new national security law.
“The Record, The Double, and The Singular,” Woaw Gallery, 3 and 5 Sun Street, Wan Chai, Tue-Sat, 11am-7pm. Until October 22. “HKForeword”, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, G/F, 10 Chancery Lane, SoHo, Central, Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm, Sat, 12pm-5pm. Until September 23.
