Artify Gallery, the city’s platform specializing in the contemporary art of print and paper will present the works of veteran advertisement and graphic artist Evan Wu. A proud local Hongkonger, Evan draws inspirations from her daily surroundings, representing them in Chinese ink, rubbing and mixed media. Displaying a gifted sense of humour, Evan aspires for her works to provide the audience with an alternate taste of Hong Kong culture.
Evan’s works fondly capture the essence of local daily life. In Forever Beauty, Evan pays tribute to local wisdom by depicting women enjoying masks homemade from ingredients like tea bags and cucumber. The formulae of the masks neatly form the backdrop of the work. Similarly, the artist cleverly represents the local worshipping culture in Pray. By filling the paper with glowing incense, the artist alludes to the annual flock of worshippers to temples during Lunar New Year. Known for their hardworking and pragmatic attitude, Hong Kong people secretly long for humble pleasure like health and harmony, which they diligently pray to the gods.
Aside local culture, Evan is also entranced by nooks and crannies of the city. Among her favourite places, the Wholesale Fruit Market holds particular importance to her, as it is on the way to her child’s school. Fruit Plate depicts fresh fruits on a traditional wooden cart, nestled among old buildings in the area. The collision of the old and the new fascinates the artist. Another work Bird House would easily invite echoes among the audience. The work features overlapping birdcages forming a silhouette of the city, as well as the local icon Lion Mountain in the middle. “The price of the city makes it hard for us to materialize our dream home. Perhaps an illusional city peaked through bird cages is more attainable to us,” said the artist.
The exhibition invites the audience to reconsider preconceived ideas of the city they inhabit, and the culture they have grown accustomed to. In an era of digital modernization, the significance of Wu’s chosen medium and subject matter is particularly sentimental. Re-interpreting traditional concepts through the lens of contemporaneity, Wu breathes new life into common stories and reminds us how colourful our city is.
-Artify Gallery
Image: © Wu Siu Ping, Evan
Courtesy of the artist and Artify Gallery