Great news for art lovers: The Affordable Art Fair returns to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for 2021 (26-29 August), showcasing original contemporary artworks ranging between HK$1,000 to $100,000. We asked the team to highlight just a handful of the local and international exhibitors and their artworks. Check out their choices below – and find loads more at the event itself!
#1 SY Chan – Zone A Gallery
There’s nothing like a photograph to remind us of the small beauty and happiness in life. Artist SY Chan doesn’t just capture a frozen moment with her camera; she also has a special sense of aesthetics – maybe her work as an architect contributes to this! Be it a colourful piece that bombards your vision or a black-and-white photo that highlights the protagonist, her works will definitely bring a calmness to your home.
#2 Ze Ze Lai – Rainze Gallery
Continuing the soothing mood, we strongly recommend artist Ze Ze Lai’s watercolour works. She has been exhibited, nominated and also awarded worldwide – not to mention her current role as president of the Hong Kong International Watercolour Society. While many watercolour pieces give readers an ambiguous impression, Ze Ze utilises her extraordinary skills to make watercolour just like oil, putting an emphasis on shape and shadows. In “Interlude”, for example, the contrast of the foreground and background provide a great depth of view.
#3 Kwing Wing Poon – BLINK Gallery
If you’re a fan of Hong Kong literature or photography, then you shouldn’t be a stranger to Kwing Wing Poon’s artworks. He’s not just an artist, but also a well-known photographer, designer and film director – even working as a photo-journalist for various media titles. Now aged 75, he’s still passionate about drawing and taking photos; as he says himself, “If one takes a photo with love, the photo will be a beautiful one.”
#4 Arco Lee – K&J Gallery
It’s easy to deduce where artist Arco Lee’s inspirations are from: Chinese calligraphy, ink, Cantonese proverbs, Hong Kong daily life and local food. The combination of a thousand-year-old painting technique and his hometown culture led Arco on a path to search for roots and identity. The artist also takes the process of creation as a meditation, helping to calm the mind and provide mental benefits.
#5 Christina Tung – Cheer Bell Gallery
The versatility of Chinese ink can be surprising, as it is in the works of artist and gallerist Christina Tung. With delicate details, she uses the medium to convey lightness and transparency through the thinness of layers and a contrast of dark and light colours. It’s easy to imagine the motion and swing of the feathers in her pieces.
#6 Yanrunan Tong – Art of Nature Gallery
Born in Jiujiang, China, artist Yanrunan Tong’s series “Manjuelong Comrades” documents the inhabitants of the small farming village of Manjuelong near Hangzhou. Tong’s style doesn’t focus on details but rather on the true nature of a portrait, with a view to providing an unexplainable depth. The special quality of the artworks is breathtaking; it touches us emotionally through the simple use of strokes, even while the faces of the portraits remain blurry.
#7 Jie Cui – J&Z Gallery
Artist Jie Cui has a heart set on adventure and exploration. She doesn’t limit her creativity to a particular medium, switching, for instance from oil (in her piece “In the seek of tranquillity”) to acrylic (in “Dialogue”). The animal themes on display are different from traditional artworks of this kind, instead marrying contemporary art objects and patterns with pastel colours.
#8 Martin Lever – F.L.Y.
Artist Martin Lever’s geographical depictions of the Hong Kong street-scape are refreshingly simple. They act like a map to show direction and street names, while the colourful blocks represent buildings along the way. His approach to painting is similarly unadorned: he closes his eyes, then paints what he sees! With striking contrasts of colour and light-hearted observational touches, the powerful impressionistic images celebrate our surroundings from a new angle.
#9 PLUM – Art Supermarket
French artist PLUM has a unique style, creating artworks by merging luxury items and symbols with his own “plumage technique”. The feathers are selected for their shape, texture, original colour and curvature; the placement of each one is well considered – as many as 2000 feathers can be used to create a single artwork. But everything else remains a secret! In order to find out more, you might want to own a piece so you can study it whenever you want to…
#10 Harry Harrison – TavernART
You may not know his name, but you’ll have very likely have seen UK artist Harry Harrison’s works across various media titles. He’s best known for his humorous and satirical cartoons on current social issues – but did you know that he also creates children’s books? In his own words: “I love to try to encapsulate what’s bugging about an issue in an offbeat sort of way.” In today’s ever-changing environment, it’ll be interesting to see how Harry continues to portray the world!
About the Fair
The Affordable Art Fair runs from 26 to 29 August 2021 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. If you’re keen to know more, follow the Fair on Instagram or Facebook. And here’s a tip: For the best fair experience, don’t forget to book a timed ticket to avoid queues.
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