Extra•Ordinary Creations: Living Cities
Presented by Extra•Ordinary People, United Overseas Bank and UOB Art Academy, Extra•Ordinary Creations: Living Cities is an art exhibition that celebrates inclusivity and cohesiveness within the community. The exhibition features winning works of the UOB Art in Ink Awards from Hong Kong, as well as works by differently-abled artists from ADAM Arts Creation, the social enterprise of the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong, ArtSE Singapore, and APSN Chaoyang School.
Find the full description of each painting below.
Sealed
Chan Sai Lok, Hong Kong
Acrylic on Canvas, Ink on Silk with Acrylic Board
When the phonetic symbols of a language are recorded, the language is transformed into matter. Conventional cultural factors make it difficult to clarify the distinctions between literal symbols and images. W.J.T. Mitchell proposed that the two are “dialectical rhetoric” rather than pure binary opposition. The artist deployed the directional concept of words and images, going back and forth between the two, abandoning the either-or concept. The order of Chinese characters is different from that of the western phonetic writing system, and the traditional Chinese characters are rich in form and rigorous in structure. Whether it is a complete Chinese character or a character with remaining strokes, there are always various connotations and imaginations.
This work is a reproduction of the short story titled Sealed written by the artist in 2008. It overlaps the classrooms of the Department of Fine Arts and the Department of Chinese Language of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, within which the artist studied. The artist applied the line-focused diffusion method of Chinese painting, and gave full play to the characteristics of film and silk to create a sense of space at the front and back, emphasising the layering and plane effect.
2017 UOB Art in Ink Awards
UOB Ink Art of the Year
Gold Award, Landscape or Figures, Open Category
Hard At Work
Cheong Wai Yee, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
Though tired, the farmers tending to the farm are still happily ploughing. As the saying goes, “No one knows the hard work behind every grain of rice!”
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
How Are You?
Cheong Wai Yee, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
Good neighbours are hard to come by. It is someone whom you can rely on, someone to talk to. Just a simple ‘How are you?’ will brighten anyone’s day.
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
Collective Memories to Treasure
Chiu Tsz Yu, Hong Kong
Ink on Paper
A symbol of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage, hawkers represent a collective memory and carry strong cultural value. This work reveals the golden era of the hawking industry, and through a composition of text and imagery, the artist hopes to ingrain the past through modern ink techniques.
2018 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Silver Award, Landscape or Figurative, Senior Student Category
Patience
Ivian Chium Yu Heng, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
Among the waterfall and rustling nature, a fisherman waits patiently, contented to just sit back and relax.
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
Waterfalls and Mountains
Chung Shu Fen, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
What a beautiful scenery with waterfalls and birds flying freely in the sky! Isn’t it a blessing to be staying on the mountaintop and enjoying the wonderful scenery!
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
Craig Road
Nick Eaw, Singapore
Watercolour on Paper
Craig Road [Singapore] was the road where the poor people in Chinatown lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It currently forms part of the Tanjong Pagar Conservation Area, the road has become a posh locale populated with shops, restored shophouses, eating places, terrace buildings, pubs, private residential units, hotels, commercial units and a few blocks of public housing.
This work is provided by ArtSE and is for sale. For enquiries, please contact Goshen Art Gallery at +65 9742 3621.
Apartment 222
Nick Eaw, Singapore
Watercolour on Paper
Houses made using red brick were common since the colonial period. But with urbanisation, buildings of this architectural style are less commonly seen. Intrigued by the beauty of this building, the artist decided to pen it down for memory.
This work is provided by ArtSE and is for sale. For enquiries, please contact Goshen Art Gallery at +65 9742 3621.
Hong Kong's Old Restaurants
Ho Kayu, Hong Kong
Ink on Paper
In Hong Kong, traditional Chinese restaurants are becoming rare, with fewer than ten remaining in the city. Drawing on personal experience of the artist, the work captures the essence of these treasured Chinese restaurants from a visitor’s perspective.
2018 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Gold Award, Landscape or Figurative, Senior Student Category
Untitled
Lai Wai Lam, Hong Kong
Ink and Colour on Paper
The artist used random images as the basis of the work, spraying ink onto crumpled paper. Layering abstract forms with imagery conjured as a result of visual experience, the artist transferred onto canvas both his observation and imagination via various ink diffusion techniques.
2018 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Bronze Award, Landscape or Figurative, Open Category
Way Home
Lay Jun Wei Ryan, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
The best part of leaving is coming back home at the end. Going back home after a period of absence is always sweet.
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
Mountain Scapes
Lee Wei Kong, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Paper
Landscape painting is traditionally at the top of the hierarchy of Chinese painting styles. It is very popular and is associated with refined scholarly taste. The Chinese term for “landscape” is made up of two characters meaning “mountains and water.” The artist wanted to express the magnitude of the landscape by a few simple yet profound brushworks.
This work is provided by ArtSE and is for sale. For enquiries, please contact Goshen Art Gallery at +65 9742 3621.
At Sea
Li Fung Chun, Hong Kong
Chinese Ink on Paper
There were countless Syrian refugees who had fled their war-torn homeland, only to be caught in perilous waters. By juxtaposing an image from news reports about the global migrant crisis with a capricious seascape crafted with contemporary ink-wash techniques, this painting depicts the misery and humanity on either end of the sea. Scattered across the scenery are fragmented words and phrases from Death Fugue, Romanian-born poet Paul Celan’s poem on the horror in a concentration camp; they are at once evoking the plight of today’s war refugees and the powerlessness of developed countries — some of which still feeling the weight of history upon their shoulders — to turn saviours and, just perhaps, redeem their past mistakes.
2017 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Bronze Award, Abstract, Open Category
Slope
Lo Kwan Chi, Hong Kong
Ink and Acrylic on Paper
This painting takes its theme from a road well-travelled by the artist on a daily basis. Contrary to traditional landscape painting, whereby artists use a head-on perspective to convey a vast viewpoint, the artist chose instead to use ink as a medium to explore contemporary interpretations of this genre. The road serves as a journal of the artist’s daily footsteps, drawing out an almost spiritual dimension that resembles his feeling of walking into a serene world of his own amidst a bustling city.
2017 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Silver Award, Landscape or Figures, Open Category
Peaceful Village
Ravana Kyle Eldon Morente, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
A quiet village hidden between the lush green trees and the flowing river. Trees dot the river bank, gently swaying with the wind.
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
Top Of The World
Aliff Bin Ngadia, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
To live high in the mountains, above the clouds, is to live like immortals at the top of the world.
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
Exploring
Ayu Widuri Bte Roslan, Singapore
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper
So many stories to be seen just a step outside your home. Backpack filled and heart full of readiness, going out will always be an experience.
This work is provided by APSN Chaoyang School.
Sunrise Over the Surging Waves
So Tat Shing, Hong Kong
Acrylic and Chinese Ink on Paper
The sea breeze brushes over us, framed by the dramatic waves that never stop.
This work is provided by ADAM Arts Creation Limited and is for sale. For enquiries, please contact Goshen Art Gallery at +65 9742 3621.
Sunrise Over the Surging Waves
So Tat Shing, Hong Kong
Inkjet on Xuan Paper
It is not mountains, nor is it water. It is what it is.
We normally understand patterns on Chinese Xuan paper this way: those areas painted with ink are mountains, while those left blank are water. This is true according to the books too. It all began with an ordinary piece of blank paper. While Ziyou, disciple of Confucius, asked what filial piety was, the artist asked what a piece of blank paper was. The artist therefore turned to those wise men who had read countless books before – the 46 photocopiers in the 7 libraries at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. People are constrained by their own perception when they think, and the artist by his own existence when he made the photocopies.
2018 UOB Art in Ink Awards
UOB Ink Art of the Year
Gold Award, Abstract, Open Category
Sky High
Charlotte Wan, Hong Kong
Ink and Watercolour on Paper
Growing up in Hong Kong, grand skyscrapers are intertwined with our daily life. As many people spend a majority of their time within these architectural masterpieces, the artist wanted to pay tribute to the importance of these intricate structures, thereby creating a vibrant cityscape. The point of perspective is tilted slightly upwards to symbolise our forward-looking future, a shared goal for Hong Kong to reach high like its symbolic skyscrapers.
2017 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Bronze Award, Abstract, Senior Student Category
Gloom
Emily Wang, Hong Kong
Ink on Silk and Paper
This double-sided ink painting dramatically depicts the artist’s desolation of staying in the magnificent contrasting landscape of Beijing.
2018 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Most Promising Artist of the Year Award
Gold Award, Abstract, Senior Student Category
Ant Harbor
Wong Hoi Tung, Hong Kong
Ink and Colour on Xuan Paper
Inspired by Hong Kong, the artist created a modern landscape shaped by a high density of buildings and geometric mountains. She employed various elements including mountainous terrains, high-rise buildings built on every inch of land, and Lion Rock. The “softness” of the sun, cloud and sea in the background and the “hardness” of the city echo each other and balance the pictorial composition.
2018 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Bronze Award, Landscape or Figurative, Open Category
Inside Outside 5
Wong Wai Kin, Hong Kong
Ink and Colour on Paper
Living in a city with limited space, the artist likes to stand at a window, listening to the sounds of the city, overlooking the brightly lit landscape, and feeling the pulse of this connected community.
2018 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Gold Award, Landscape or Figurative, Open Category
View Over Sung Wong Toi
Wong Yun Chuen, Hong Kong
Chinese Ink and Colour on Paper
Overlooking Sung Wong Toi Park, a concrete jungle under Lion Rock emerges.
This work is provided by ADAM Arts Creation Limited and is for sale. For enquiries, please contact Goshen Art Gallery at +65 9742 3621.
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Wong Yun Chuen, Hong Kong
Chinese Ink and Colour on Paper
The Hong Kong Cultural Centre appears even more distinctive and beautiful against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.
This work is provided by ADAM Arts Creation Limited and is for sale. For enquiries, please contact Goshen Art Gallery at +65 9742 3621.
A Scroll of Hong Kong MTR
Zhu Tongfei, Hong Kong
Chinese Ink on Paper
Infused with a playful twist on the traditional gongbi line drawing technique, this work illustrates a typical scene in the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) of Hong Kong, where everyone is focusing only on his or her mobile phone.
2017 UOB Art in Ink Awards
Gold Award, Landscape or Figures, Junior Student Category