The Elegance of Constructive Ink — Wong Hau-kwei Ink Painting Art Exhibition

2025.01.07 - 2025.01.24

Exhibition Statement

Chinese ink art has undergone thousands of years of cultural accumulation and boasts a brilliant historical legacy. It is neither appropriate nor feasible to simply integrate it into contemporary Western culture. Traditional landscape painting primarily relies on the techniques of contouring and texture, where contouring depicts outlines and texture expresses volume. As times have changed, established painting techniques have gradually evolved. The emergence of the Mi family’s landscape painting in the Song Dynasty marked the end of the dominance of contouring and texture, while splashed ink gradually became an important method in Chinese painting. In modern times, various unprecedented mechanical, physical, chemical, and digital technological methods have entered the realm of artistic creation.

Wong Hau-Kwei, recipient of the 2024 Hong Kong Arts Development Award - Artist of the Year, was born in 1946 in Chongqing. His father, Wong Mo-Han, was a historical figure in Chongqing. He graduated from East China Textile Institute in 1969 and studied painting under Mr. Huang Zhou in the 1970s. His works have been selected six times for the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Exhibition organized by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, winning three awards; he has also received recognition for outstanding works at the National Art Exhibition three times and has been awarded commendations from the Secretary for Home Affairs of Hong Kong on two occasions. Many of his works are collected by institutions such as the National Art Museum of China, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the University of Durham Museum in the UK. Notably, his piece "Clouds over the Three Gorges" is included in the anthology "20th Century Chinese Art," edited by the National Art Museum of China.

This January, as we welcome the New Year, I am delighted to showcase my works at TOUCH Gallery. Many of these pieces utilise the "Weaving Brocade Technique" technique, reflecting my pursuit of detail and texture. I hope that this exhibition allows viewers to deeply appreciate and understand my artistic philosophy, sharing in the achievements and joy of my creative journey. I look forward to welcoming everyone! ” — Wong Hau-Kwei