YY9 Gallery is pleased to present “Burmese Days – A Timeline”, a group exhibition by Benny Lau, Chris Lo and Chau So-hing. In this exhibition, the three artists will present works inspired by their journey with the SOIL team in an expedition to Bagan, Burma last year. Located in the dry central plains of the country laying on the Eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River, Bagan was the capital of the first Burmese empire. A casual strolling up the stairway of any of the major pagodas revealed a host of natural landscape wonders, a cluster of magnificent brick structures, and the wealth of traditional arts and crafts. Over the centuries, Buddhism has been the prime inspiration for much of Burma’s artistic endeavour. It has deeply permeated the way of living, ideas, manners and aspirations of Burmese. Times stands still; it seemed that they were gliding through a secret journey into a hidden world.

Benny’s first encounter with lacquerware in Bagan was triggered by three local kids who guided him to be their working partner. He considers craft is not only a form of art but also a means to help those in need in the community. By returning all the revenue generated by the project, he hopes to support the craftsmen and their work, piece by piece, day by day, crafting a better future for their next generation.

To Chris, Burma is a place for your soul. Thousands of pagodas symbalize a connection between the heaven and the Earth. “There are a lot of things to learn in life, between lives, and in the process, we experience, gain and grow. Time is a river. It will not wait and it depends how you live with it. Through clay, I find my way,” says Chris. Chris’s works reflect his interpretation of life incensed by a strong internal spirituality. He believes in the co-existing relationships of all things transforming on the Earth.

With the belief that nothing is more enjoyable than “to create”, Chau So-hing takes the opportunity to explore a Paragon of Spirituality in Bagan. Despite political unrest, Bagan is a place where the serenity of the past can be quietly savored in the present, acting as a sanctuary of grace, tranquility and spirituality. There the vast and stunning landscape was speckled with quiet villages to give enchanting, utterly entrancing effects. Over day and night, this evoked a peaceful serenity which provided a healing space and touched her heart.

About the artists: Benny Lau is best recognized as a graphics designer, an illustrator as well as a product designer. His marks on design industry started back in 1995 with the establishment of Creative Café, a graphic design company, best known for its visual communications forHong Kong major cultural oganisations. Other than conceptualizing printed materials and visuals, he also created homeware products for overseas markets including Hong Kong, Japan and the Europe.    In recent years, Benny has been focusing and engaging in design education and community projects, including artisanale handicrafts from Asian countries. He has won numerous awards, including HKDA design awards, Greater China Illustration Awards, International Chinese Graphic Design Competition and IdN design awards.

Chris Lo Sze Lim graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts. With a background a formal education in painting, he shifted to specialize in ceramics in 1993. Three years later, he founded his own studio, Cobo Ceramic Workshop. Chris has participated in numerous exhibitions in Hong Kong and China, as well as in Taiwan, Japan, USA and Europe. His works include sculptural ceramics, installation works, commissioned pieces and functional objects that display both form and function. His work is widely collected by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the National Museum of Chinese History in Beijing, the Kohler Art Centre in Wisconsin, USA and many private collections.

Chau So-hing graduated from Hong Kong Polytechnic in Communications Design. She worked at George Kwan & Associates, Kan Tai-keung Design & Associates Limited, Lilian Tang Design, Steiner & Co and Kan & Lau Design Consultants.

In 2001, she set up her own design company, ingDesign, which specializes in the design of visual and corporate identity, company brochures, annual reports, packaging and marketing collaterals, etc. Upon the establishment of ingDesign, Chau also won different local and international design awards. Chau has been a full member of Hong Kong Designers Association since 1996. She also maintains a passion for calligraphy and Chinese ink painting and has been a pupil of several notable Chinese ink painting artists.