After nearly 14 years in Asia, French-artist Charles Munka has settled down in Hong Kong, exploring it’s streets and abandoned buildings for inspiration. His work draws from his surroundings, everything from the first onslaught of billboards and neon signs, to the subtle textures discovered on demolition sites and in well-worn homes. His new exhibition "Alternate Takes" looks at his artworks spanning over the past few years. From his original manga collages, to paintings of signs and billboards, to found objects, his oeuvre builds a complete story of his experience in this metropolis.
Exploring the city, photographing whatever captures his attention, Munka finds inspiration in what many view as the mundane. His entire oeuvre works as a categorization of different aspects of the city's composition. Munka's paintings focus on the graphics of the city, what first bombards you when you arrive, while his newer transfer pieces concentrate on the subtle textures of the city that are covered or under repair, the treasures you might not notice on first glance. "Alternate Takes" is an in-depth exploration of a city's makeup, and a subtle reminder of the beauty that can be found in our surroundings.
About the artist
Charles Munka (b 1981, France) now lives and works in Hong Kong. Munka channels the effervescent touch of a cluster of European-American traditions related to expressionism and abstraction but also uniquely opens a dialogue with Asian metropolitan cultures. He absorbs his surroungdings, seeing them as ever-shifting spaces encoded with place, time, and history. Munka's prolific and passionate work begs intrigue as he delves into legend and myth with accomplished skill--his knowing gestural brushstrokes, his harmonious use of composition, and his subtle manipulation of color.
Munka has exhibited in Hong Kong at Cat Street Gallery, Para Site, and Joyce Showroom. He has also had exhibitions at Opera Gallery in Singapore and Naco Gallery in Shanghai.
