Red Elation Gallery presents the first solo show by Phillip Hui, one of the most deserving young talents in the Hong Kong art scene. The exhibition, titled “What are you looking for?”, is curated by Carolina Lio and focuses on one of the fundamental points of our society: the search for meaning and authenticity. The exhibition will present a selection of artist’s recent paintings and drawings, set in a magical universe full of symbols, will query visitors about their real values and the meaning of their lives.

What are we constantly seeking and what always seems to elude us? What is the core of happiness? Why has the contemporary world lost spontaneity and reality? In order to answer these questions, Phillip Hui metaphorically describes our human quest through the figure of the fisherman who scours the bay with a flashlight, the swimmer who equips himself with goggles to be able to have a clearer view of the stirred water and through the uncertain steps of a girl who ventures into a dark forest. The natural landscapes, that is the thread that unites all of the works, recall the artificiality of the elements of the parks in Hong Kong and are a further metaphor for a disorienting world where it is difficult to distinguish between lies and reality. In this context, as a swimmer forced to constantly move to remain afloat, what are we really looking for? What do we really need to be happy?

In this fake reality, Phillip Hui offers a response in three acts to defend our own fragility: play, search and find. The works will be divided according to an itinerary sorted by these three actions, where the audience has an opportunity to “play”.

-Red Elation Gallery

Image: © Phillip Hui
A Game
2013
Oil on canvas
122 x 92cm