Algorithms of Longing Group Exhibition, Pace Gallery
Oscar yi Hou, Realest blue, 2024, Oil, gouache, and colored pencil on canvas, 70 x 54 x 1 inches
Algorithms of Longing speaks to seven artists’ collective familiarity of diasporic experiences. It charts their desires and resonances in the Asian diaspora while situated in conversation with works that speak to post-Socialist and post-human longings. As Pace’s Curatorial Director Sin Wang puts it, she aims to “revisit time as place and fantasy as home-coming” through this exhibition. Highlights include never-before-exhibited paintings by Amanda Ba, Yifan Jiang, and Oscar yi Hou, the latter of whom creates portraits of queer, Asian, diasporic artists with palpable emotional intimacy.
When: Until February 27, 2025
Where: H Queen’s, 80, 12/F Queen’s Road Central
Symphony of Light and Stone Group Exhibition, Gallery Exit
Cho Wing Ki, Heading To Kwong Fai Circut 前往光輝圍 , 2024, oil on canvas, 120 x 90 cm
Symphony of Light and Stone pieces together the story of architectural landscapes and human activities through the perspectives of three Hong Kong artists. Lai Nga Lun distills skyscrapers, traffic and road signs into bold yet delicate geometric patterns—an intuitive artistic practice developed through studying traditional Chinese ink art, Abstract Impressionism and a rich variety of schools. Cho Wing Ki is moved by those who quietly work hard in the city’s hidden corners and often depicts urban life in the Kwai Hin area near her studio. Lau Siu Hung is particularly interested in the subtle moments of quotidian, from plants growing through building cracks to sunlight filtering through leaves. Gathered together, their collective works commemorate the vibrancy of urban life.
When: Until March 8, 2025
Where: 3/F, 25 Hing Wo Street, Tin Wan, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Serenity 寂 Group Exhibition, Whitestone Gallery
Serenity is where time slows down and the creative process becomes a meditative journey. The works of Soonik Kwon, Masayuki Tsubota, and the duo Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin create a dialogue that explores culture, memory, and the natural world. Both Kwon and Tsubota’s works highlight materiality. The former repeatedly applies a mixture of fine soil and paint on canvas before piling graphite on the interstitial spaces, creating a narrative of healing and memory. The latter is known for his minimal aesthetic achieved through the meticulous carving and polishing of natural materials. Finally, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin are a collaborative sculpting duo who create the ‘body’ and ‘spirit’ of their thought-provoking works respectively.
When: Until March 15, 2025
Where: 8F / H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong
Aftertime by Michele Fletcher, White Cube
Michele Fletcher, Mercury Rising, 2024, Oil on linen, 140.3 x 100.3 cm
Michele Fletcher has laboured into fruition Aftertime—an upturned world where “plant life has supplanted humankind”. At times working up to 12-hour stretches, Fletcher paints ‘wet on wet’ in single sittings, depicting thriving vegetal life through ribbon-like brushwork. Fletcher draws on the philosophy of Timothy Morton and Michael Marder who consider the vast expanse of time and the engagement between human and natural worlds. Simultaneously, she imbues rich art historical references including Georgia O’Keefee’s landscapes, Helen Frankenthaler’s abstract-expressionist forms, and Joan Mitchell’s abstract ideas on the natural world.
When: Until March 15, 2025
Where: 50 Connaught Road Central
Never Describe A Sunset by Halley Cheng, Ora-Ora
Halley Cheng, Kapok series, 2020-2025, Acrylic, Sim Card and Mixed Media on Linen, 30 x 25 cm
Never Describe A Sunset features the latest developments in the Kapok Series by Hong Kong artist Halley Cheng—a series that the artist started during the pandemic. Inspired by art critic John Berger, the exhibition title emphasises the uncertainty between what we see and what we know. This notion is tied together with the theme of ‘chance’ whereby serendipitous encounters with kapok flowers, say the fallen blossoms at the feet of the tree, are translated into paintings through Cheng’s memory. Through these paintings, Cheng rediscovers the overlooked beauty of the flower while conveying their resilience.
When: Until March 16, 2025
Where: 105-107, Barrack Block, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Rd, Central
Between Times by Yam Shalev, Woaw Gallery
Yam Shalev, 5:05 AM, 2025, Oil on canvas, 120 x 80 cm
Yam Shalev freezes time at intimate yet universal moments. Through solo exhibition Between Times, the artist explores ephemerality through high octane colours, warped proportions, and intimate vantage points that position the viewer in the scene. His artwork titles often clue to a specific moment in time, such as “5:05 AM”, “Late night snack” and “When the day ends”. Quotidian aspects of life suddenly become magnified and significant, while time’s elusiveness is momentarily understood through reflection of life’s simple snippets.
When: until March 17, 2025
Where: 3 & 5 Sun St, Wan Chai
Editor
Karrie LamCredit
Lead image: 'Realest blue' (2024) by Oscar yi Hou via Pace Gallery
