Fancy Creatures: The Art of Wig Making, Current Plans
View this post on Instagram
Current Plans has extended their Fancy Creatures exhibition for one more week! Originally scheduled to come to an end yesterday, Fancy Creatures: The Art of the Wig showcases the extraordinary artistry of Japanese multidisciplinary artists Tomihiro Kono and Sayaka Maruyama. Inspired by the fantastically outlandish organisms of our natural world, Kono crafts each wearable ‘hair prop’ by hand, hand-dyeing, painting and morphing real human hair into swirling otherworldly forms. The fantastical pieces are given their own psychedelic universe at Current Plans, where they hang suspended from the ceiling as if floating on their own accord. The Fancy Creatures exhibition also displays photographic prints and a video installation made in collaboration with Sayaka, though a major part of its allure comes from the interactive experience of trying (and shopping) Kono’s weird and wonderful accessories for yourself.
When: until April 23, 2023
Where: 2/F, Tak On House, 13 Wong Chuk Street, Sham Shui Po
Cultural Exchange at the Crossroads of Asia: Early Buddhist Art in Context, Bonhams
What is now known as northwestern Pakistan and Southern areas of Afghanistan, the historical region of Gandhara was a thriving cosmopolitan civilisation and a major centre of trade situated along the Silk Road. With a complex history spanning well over a thousand years, Gandhara was the birthplace of a distinctive art style that fused a Buddhist material culture with early Greco-Roman influences from all over Europe. Bonhams’ latest exhibition allows insight into largely untapped world history through a selection of Gandharan art relics. From bronze statuettes to gold jewellery and a schist Buddhist casket, the incredibly rare pieces demonstrate a much earlier intersection of the beliefs and aesthetic traditions of the Eastern and Western world.
When: until April 20, 2023
Where: Bonhams Hong Kong Saleroom, 20/F, One Pacific Place, Admiralty
In Limbo by So Youn Lee, Gallery Ascend
Korean artist So Youn Lee holds her first exhibition of 2023 in Gallery Ascend. Featuring a collection of Lee’s latest paintings, In Limbo explores the enduring themes of love and the afterlife. Awash in dreamy pastel shades of peachy pinks and purple, the fuzzy paintings transform the artist’s grief of losing her dog, Choco, into a newfound sense of hope and comfort. Lee’s ability to form strong visual textures through her chosen medium of oil and acrylics only adds to the viewing experience; consumed by this plushy galactic world, one can’t help but imagine the feeling of a soft embrace.
When: until April 29, 2023
Where: 8B, The Arca, 43 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang
Escape To B-Roll by Stacy Leigh, Woaw Gallery
Escape To B-Roll marks New York-based artist Stacy Leigh’s first ever showcase in the city. A visual culmination of much time spent fantasising about a quiet life in the middle of nowhere, Leigh’s vivid paintings offer a form of escapism sure to strike a chord with Hong Kong’s cityfolk. The artist’s latest series was born out of a distasteful experience with her housing board and offers a feeling of suburban calm with subtle references to Leigh’s campy sense of humour. Set against the backdrop of slow-burning sunset skies and densely-packed forests, placid roads are embellished with expensive cars, while quaint houses sit with their front doors ajar, warm inviting lights visible through the gaps.
When: until April 19, 2023
Where: G07, The Galleria, 9 Queen’s Road Central
A/S/L by Wang Jiajia, de Sarthe Gallery
View this post on Instagram
Internet slang of the early aughts, A/S/L stands for Age/Sex/Location — three essential pieces of information asked for upon entry into a chatroom, hoping to better visualise the anonymous user on the other side of the screen. Reflecting on an age of technology where cyberspace governs an overwhelming portion of our daily interactions, Wang Jiajia’s latest mixed media works depict a certain state of disarray. A pair of piercing nonhuman eyes is a recurring motif throughout the series; often glaring through an impasto clutter of swirling colours, they allude to our “digital modes of seeing”. Like many internet culture-inspired elements across Wang’s body of work, the eyes appear to be influenced by video game visuals, bringing to mind The Legend of Zelda’s Majora and other menacing antagonists.
When: until April 29, 2023
Where: 26/F, M Place, 54 Wong Chuk Hang Road
BE@RBRICK Worldwide Tour 3, Artelli
A must-see for all discerning art toy collectors, the BE@RBRICK Worldwide Tour 3 finally lands in Hong Kong. Brought to you by Forward Fashion and MEDICOM TOY, the exhibition marks its first international appearance outside of Japan, and coincides with the opening of multi-dimensional premium art space, Artelli. Set within a verdant BE@RBRICK garden, the showcase features exclusive BE@RBRICK 1000% pieces designed by 100 internationally acclaimed creators, as well as a special series made in collaboration with luxury French trunks and high-end leather goods brand Pinel et Pinel, and graffiti virtuoso Cyril Kongo.
When: until May 10, 2023
Where: Shop 18, G/F & LG/F New World Tower, 16-18 Queen’s Road Central
Ticketing: Standard at HK$120, VIP at HK$1,080 at klook.com
City As Studio, K11 MUSEA’s Art Karnival 2023
K11 MUSEA’s highly-anticipated Art Karnival makes its return! This year, the cultural retail destination kicks off Hong Kong’s Art Month with its annual artistic extravaganza, which features over 160 works from all over the globe alongside pop-ups and live performances. Headlining the 2023 Karnival is China’s most extensive graffiti and street art exhibition, City As Studio. Curated by art veteran Jeffrey Deitch, the show is a visual feast that traces the evolution of graffiti and street art since its emergence in 1970s New York through interweaving pieces from legendary art figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring with those from emerging cultural icons like KAWS. Art enthusiasts can also try their hand at creating a personalised graffiti tag or spraying their dream graffiti creations on the walls in a VR game.
Outside of City As Studio, K11 visitors can continue to embark on an artistic adventure: marvel at late veteran sculptor Phyllida Barlow’s untitled: folly; baubles installation, or let the imagination run wild with Austrian artist Erwin Wurm’s Hot Dog Bus, a surrealist reflection on consumer culture.
When: until May 14, 2023
Where: 6F Kunsthalle, K11 Art & Cultural Centre, K11 MUSEA, 18 Salisbury Road
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. PayosCredit
Lead image: Twins (2023) by So Youn Lee. Courtesy of Gallery Ascend.
