Record: Freshman Exhibition

For me, art offers a space for healing. Making my artworks possess an expression of emotion or peace and warmth has been my wish. It is hoped that my pieces can evoke a connection of emotions to the audiences.In If You Have Nowhere To Go, I illustrate different sceneries in the Victoria Harbour. For the reason why I choose this place, it is about me myself.

I love going to Victoria Harbour, with my friends or myself. Since it is near to my secondary school (and it is convenient for me and my friends to go there and have a walk), it has always been my special day. And I think because of the pandemic, it is not easy to have a place to eat, therefore we all love to take a seat there, chat and eat, and appreciate the scenery that I never get bored of.

During holiday break, I specifically like to go there and enjoy my own time. The all-time favourite routine of mine is to have a walk along the harbour, take the star ferry to Hong Kong Island, and take a walk to have a tram ride.

Apart from how it can heal me, I think it is because it brings me the sense of belonging, makes me feel like “I am in Hong Kong”.

You may question how could it be feeling like “in Hong Kong” with the fact that I am actually in Hong Kong. In other words, it must be a moment that I don’t feel myself in Hong Kong. There is an experience that evoked such emotion in me. Remember when I go to the supermarket and wait for payment, the supermarket cashier, and the customer before me both talked smoothly in Cantonese with a mandarin accent, and all things look fine and usual. At that moment, I felt like I was the one who wasn't belong there. Understand that China immigrants and the China- Hong Kong integration are not something new. This situation still arouses sorrow. 

When you are physically stepping on your homeland, but different incidents make you feel not at home, because there are things that make you feel unfamiliar and strange. It is like traveling and floating in Hong Kong. And what is ironic is that I need to find my sense of belonging from a tourist spot, where people think is most significant and representable. In other words, I need to go somewhere like a landmark to find the lost “Hong Kong”.

Therefore, the artwork If You Have Nowhere To Go is made.

Another work that impresses me is The Relationship Between You And Me. picture from @vatten_artquarium (instagram) https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3v773LV5M/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The artist presents an installation that serves as a visual translation of a toxic love relation. What I appreciate the most is the use of material and the way of how she presents the message precisely. By having a simple look, the rope is dyed with ink. But there is an acrylic board on the rope, so this makes the audiences question about how come the rope gets contemplated. The black on the rope is actually her hair, but not ink. And this conveys a message that “I” thought I have received “your” love but actually “I” didn’t. In this installation, the ink inside the square box drops according to the flow of time, while the square box will gradually look empty. As if the true colour(which is not that good in reality) of the one who “I” love gradually exposes. But then “I” still do not notice it because “I” am in love with “him/her”. The use of material, colour and the metaphor impresses me, and the toxic relation is shown in this installation, which I think is a success.