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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If you still haven’t seen this, there’s still time to catch the Andy Warhol exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, running until 31 March. The exhibition marks the 25th anniversary of Warhol’s death and is part of an Asia wide tour, heading next to Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo. The exhibition charts the artist’s evolving works from the 1950’s through to the 1980’s. There’s an extensive range of both well-known and rarely seen pieces, from the iconic pop art images of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell’s Soup to the more unusual photo-booth series and Time Capsule exhibit. Film production was another significant aspect of Warhol’s career, with screenings of his avant-garde films also being shown at the exhibition and lecture hall. The Andy Warhol, 15 Minutes Eternal Exhibition is open from 16 December 2012 until 31 March 2013 at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. By Claire Johnson
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This week sees the opening of the ‘My Space’ exhibition, featuring two local artists, Wong Kai Kin and David Smith. Both artists work on a relatively small scale and show an interesting contrast in their artworks. Wong uses the compact canvas to focus on tightly constructed views of apartments, whereas Smith depicts expansive subjects with intimacy. The exhibition opens on Thursday 7th February at Amelia Johnson Contemporary. RAW will be at the opening to speak to the artists and bring you our favourite pieces from the collections. The ‘My Space’ exhibition runs from the 7 February to 1 March at the Amelia Johnson Contemporary. Amelia Johnson Contemporary, G/F, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong By Claire Johnson
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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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