Simon Birch’s “Hooligan” exhibition at Ben Brown Fine Arts will come to a close on May 15th but not without selling out most of his paintings as well as adding to the exhibition on May 11th his sketch drawings for the first time. His images are striking, style distinct, and trademark-able and in all of it he tells a story. In this case, there is someone off canvas affecting the portraits of these faceless people alluded to only in the title. What is a Hooligan? When I think of the word without looking it up in the dictionary, I think of the meaning as someone who causes trouble. And Hooligan’s are generally nondescript just as the portraits could really represent any one of us. Are there people in your life causing you trouble? Perhaps take a look at one of Simon’s portraits and see which one might be a reflection of your own “Hooligan”-ed life. Still have a few days to check out the art work! By Derek Ting
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I recently went on a trip to Las Vegas. In addition to doing all the standard Vegas fun activities, I had some quiet moments to visit a few galleries on Gallery Row at Aria Resort & Casino. I saw some amazing art work by American master sculptor Richard MacDonald. There were art pieces from the series he did while behind-the-scenes to Cirque du Soleil, pieces for the Royal Ballet School, and many other art work. Each piece has such incredible detail, expression, and emotion. There were videos at the gallery to show Richard’s approach and working process and it’s amazing how quickly he moves while sculpting. He observes the live model and their performance and immediately shapes and sculpts the art piece. It’s incredible how much detail he can remember in such a short period of time and have all that translated to a sculpture. Most of the pieces are placed on a rotatable display plate so one can feel free to rotate the piece around and really observe various angles. It’s such a great interactive way to appreciate the art pieces. I was completely mesmerized and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so moved by sculpted pieces. I then […]
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Last week we attended the opening of the Cobra Exhibition at Kee Club, Central. The stylish event displayed Daniels’ signature bold coloured artworks against the opulent black interior of the club. Guests were treated to cocktails and canapés as well as an intriguing performance from the models come dancers, styled to look like the artist’s muses. Fox Daniels is a Belgian-Moroccan artist, after working across the globe she relocated to Asia and began to explore her painting further. She uses art as an expression of herself and as a tool to communicate how she perceives the world around her. Daniels’ work is strongly influenced by postmodernism and the COBRA movement, marked by its disregard for rules and exaggeration in the way the subject is perceived. Daniels’ current exhibition includes major art pieces from the ‘Birds of Paradise’ series, inspired by the all-powerful women of the 21st century. With a strong focus on female elitism in Hong Kong, the paintings shine an intuitive light on some playful characters. The Cobra exhibition is on show at the Damina Gallery from 1February to 7 March. Damina Gallery, Suite 1406 Oceanic Centre, 2 Lee Lok Street, Hong Kong By Claire Johnson
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Catch the first Collector Speaker Series by HK Art Gallery Association (www.hk-aga.org). Speaker Dr Lars Nittve (M+ Executive Director) will discuss about The Art Ecology: Galleries, Institutions and the Rest of the Nuclear Family. Limited seats so get your tix now!
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It’s always great to see a new art gallery open up in Hong Kong. Artify Gallery, a Chai Wan based contemporary art gallery, launched on December 6th specializing in contemporary art of print and paper works. The gallery partners with emerging artists and provides a platform to showcase their work and to bring the audiences to the Chai Wan area. The first exhibition is a partnership with Malaysian photographer Eiffel Chong. This is Eiffel’s first exhibition in Hong Kong tit led ‘This Use To Be My Playground’. The exhibition includes Eiffel’s photography shot in Malaysia and Hong Kong and both shot at abandon warehouses or apartments. I really liked how Eiffel was able to convey a sense of abandonment & emptiness along with a hint of peacefulness & beauty in his art work. Check it out at www.artifygallery.com, Unit 7, 10/F, Block A, Ming Pao Industrial Centre, 18 Ka Yip Street, Chai Wan District.
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