Great perfection seems incomplete,

But does not decay

Great abundance seems empty,

But does not fail.

 

Great truth seems contradictory;

Great cleverness seems stupid;

Great eloquence seems awkward.

 

As movement overcomes cold,

And stillness overcomes heat,

So purity and calmness overcomes the world.
 

(Tao Te Ching, verse 45)


For this exhibition “Silence”, Blue Lotus Gallery has selected four artists whose artworks portray a sense of stillness and calm. Each member of the quartet is inspired by Chinese traditions while using different mediums to express themselves.
 
Koon Wai-bong prefers the medium of ink and silk but has his own unique take on Chinese art. His solo exhibition “Reworking the Classics” was exhibited to widespread acclaim last November in Blue Lotus Gallery and now we are delighted to welcome him back to our latest exhibition “ Silence”.  Koon Wai-bong was selected this year as one of the ten best artists by the HK Biennale and was recently featured in Asian Art News (March/April 2010 issue).
 
Tsang Chui-mei (Hong Kong) ‘s style is characterized by using western techniques creating abstract paintings, yet with references to chinese tradition. Tsang Chui-mei’s work have been collected by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Fringe Club, Philippe Charriol Foundation and private collectors.

Hanison Lau (Hong Kong) will present new paintings and installation work in response to the “Silence”. Hanison uses sculptural form to present his ideas; his three-dimensional pieces speak some of his personal stories, presenting different visual elements with ready-made materials. He employs history and literature, especially adapted from Chinese culture as referential languages to appropriate his works. Hanison Lau was chosen as one of the highlighted artists by the Hong kong Art Promotion Office for its “Artists in Neighbourhood scheme II 2008”.

Wang Yanru (Wuhan, China) will debut in Hong Kong. She draws her inspiration from the traditional paintings of flowers and birds. However Wang breaks away from the tradition whereby form is constructed by a strong use of lines but instead creates ‘form’ by a confident use of color applied with her painting knife. The titles of the work from the erotic color print of Ming Dynasty named ‘Hua Ying Jin Zhen’, in which the descriptions of sex were literally just flowers and birds. Her work is presently collected and on show at the Wuhan Museum of Art. She has also been exhibited in Shanghai, Taiwan and Germany.
 
May is the prime season for the art word in Hong Kong: galleries, art-fairs and auctions are all competing for attention.  On the other hand, Blue Lotus Gallery, set in Fotan, far removed from the hustle and bustle of town, prefers to take a more low-key approach by presenting this delicate exhibition.