being something

group exhibition being something

[Hong Kong, September 2023] The unsettling feeling caused by the unknown and continuous changes in the society are permeated through the works of art by the fresh graduates of class 2023. Living in the age of perplexity, they have spent most of the time in studying under special measures of the pandemic, with online classes becoming the new norm and significantly reduced studio practice. Viewers may begin to understand the different levels of uncertainty and confusion the young artists are facing through their works.

Contemporary By Angela Li is proud to present group exhibition curated by Leung Shiu Kee Eric "being something" from 17 August to 5 September 2023, featuring eight young artists who explore various states of existence through their distinctive visual languages, expressing their view towards happenings around themselves. Exhibiting artists include Chan Hing Kit Sandy, Chi Tin Sui Aubrey, Choi Nga Sze Angie, Lee Kam Ching Lewis, Ling Wai Shan Heidi, Wong Hoi Ching Hebe, Yeung Tsin Tsin, and Yung Chung Kong Sam.

The illusionary wilderness in Yung Chung Kong, Sam’s oil paintings loom over time, leaving behind a desolate atmosphere. With the aim to retain his childhood memories. Lee Kam Ching, Lewis’s works depict a Mao-era theatre that was recently demolished in his hometown. The work "Chaos" by Chi Tin Sui, Aubrey portrays an inflatable chair located in a ruined monument, as if it is witnessing the absurdity and chaos of changes through civilisation. Chan Hing Kit, Sandy’s work reveals her recent state of mind of feeling stagnant in life, with her oil painting "Standstill” showing a stuck kite on a tree, depicting abandonment of life and objects.

Other artists also attempt to show their own view on the world through different objects. Ling Wai Shan, Heidi’s painting "Insight" expresses the struggles in life’s ups and downs through a periscope, showing certain discomfort one may feel while searching for their status in this era. Choi Nga Sze, Angie’s ceramic reliefs show a car heading into the unknown fearlessly, exploring the future’s possibilities in vivid colours. Wong Hoi Ching, Hebe’s works focus on the purity and cleanliness of sinks to regain concentration amidst chaos. Yeung Tsin Tsin utilises everyday objects to create toy sculptures titled "Tid Tid & Tod Tod”, hoping to spice up life through the innocence and joy from childhood memories.

Chan Hing Kit received her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2023. Her medium of preference is painting. Chan's inspiration comes from her personal experiences in life. Her works are based on her special feelings towards objects and the environment. Chan presents her ambiguous yet naked psychological space and inner state by reorganizing and piecing together fragmented images from her memories and her light yet fanciful compositions. A shared memory of the emotions will be built in her painting, the audience could experience a walking experience of Chan's, connected with her personal feelings about the city and nature.

Chi Tin Sui, Aubrey (b.2001, Hong Kong). Her works mostly present a sense of disorientation in unfamiliar places, juxtaposing symbols and objects in the same space to depict the links between primitive human nature, life, and consciousness that are often discordant, abrupt, and ambiguous. They summon viewers to choose a different perspective and thinking path to understand or not understand the environment they are in, thereby reflecting on the most hidden parts of their inner selves.

Choi Nga Sze, Angie (b.2001, Hong Kong), received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in the Visual Arts at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University. She spent a semester to study at Chung-Ang University, South Korea, for an exchange programme. Choi is currently interested in ceramics. Her artistic practice also includes elements of printmaking, painting and photography. She keens on exploring and breaking boundaries of different media.

Lee Kam Ching, Lewis (b.1998) recently graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, majored in fine arts. During his childhood, he lived between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. After growing up in such environment, he enjoys using scenery painting to express his personal experiences, from family to ancestry. Through his work, he responds to the scars left by previous generations, exploring identity and constructing his own worldview in a playful and slightly surreal manner. His past works have encompassed painting, photography, installation, and artificial landscapes. Lee is the winner of Grotto Fine Art Award 2023.

Ling Wai Shan, Heidi graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Visual Arts, Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University in 2023. She focuses on contemporary social issues, exploring complex relationships between humans, nature, culture, and interactions between the body and the city. She uses symbolism and metaphor to express thoughts and emotions on these topics. Her artwork is rich in poetic and subtle expressions, usually painting objects and landscapes, using symbolic meanings to convey emotions and provide insights into contemporary social and political issues. Through symbol transformation and object combinations, her works invite imagination and open interpretation.

Wong Hoi Ching, Hebe (b. 1997), was graduated from The Hong Kong Art School with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) in 2022. Majored in painting, she practices broadly across traditional mediums to conceptual approaches. Wong is passionate in studying systems and formats. Subjecting artificial objects, she uncovers the projections of thoughts by the producer and the user, through a conscious perception, depicts human's behavior indirectly. Her insights come from the mundane daily life, usually a reverie. With her work, she wishes to evoke reflection upon the hidden pattern in daily circumstances.

Yeung Tsin Tsin (b.2000, Hong Kong) focuses on illustration and story writing. She graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University Academy of Visual Arts in 2023 and received the Academy of Visual Arts (AVA) Award for being one of the top 3 outstanding students. She got 2nd place in the 20th International Illustration Contest: Fantasy Job (2019, Clip Studio Paint). Later received the 3rd Outstanding Student Artist Award of Hong Kong (OSA Award) held by art-at-all in 2019 & participated in the Student Artist Group Exhibition as her first artwork showcase. She also participated in other art programmes, such as “Fine Art Asia” (2020, Art & Antique International Fair Ltd) & “Sorry, I Want to Leave the Archipelago” (2023, Star Fragments) at Cattle Depot Artist Village.

Yung Chung Kong (b. 2000, Hong Kong) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) from RMIT University (co-presented with Hong Kong Art School), major in painting. Yung's paintings are often composed of fictional cityscapes and wilderness images. Deserted objects found in a sense create an unsettling feeling within the calm atmosphere. The nostalgia the paintings feel seems to be confusing our sense of timing. The solitude evokes a sense of hopefulness and possibility rather than loneliness. By exploring the possibility between emotion and thoughtlessness, the painting reveals Yung's desire to speak without words.