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13. Lam Tung Pang: CITIES PROJECT
22nd May - 05 July 2008
EXHIBIT is proud to present the first UK solo exhibition by Chinese artist Lam Tung-Pang as our 13th Empty Space Projects as well as part of CHINA NOW, the nationwide festival of Chinese culture.
LAM Tung-Pang, one of the most proliferic and distinctive artists to emerge on the Chinese art scene in recent years, is presenting his debut UK solo show, entitled Cities Project: Where is my mum?, which consists of light sculptures and canvas that draws on his personal sentiment interweaved between the 3 cities he has resided and worked in: Hong Kong, London and Beijing.
The main body of the work, “Shaking China”, is an installation in the basement gallery space. In first glance, it consists of 3 neon light structures manufactured in 3 different locations: China, Britain and Hong Kong, out of the same budget. The outcome turns out a discord. “An intention to create a poignant visual measure of the economic power of the three regions when the size of each is found so different”, according to Lam. While the statement is overtly described in its physical form, the topic has already shifted its meaning subtly when the leon “Made in China” is shattered upon arrival. The unpredictable event cast a light on the fragile and vulnerable side China has to face on its path as emerging super-nation. And Lam becomes aware of this fragility through his experience of the natural disasters that struck China this year, resonating strongly with the recent memory of the devastating earthquakes in the Sichuan province.
Paintings on the ground floor focused on Lam’s experience of living in Beijing, London and Hong Kong. Capturing the ambiguous interiors in the ‘lifestyle’ era depicted in glossy magazines obtained from these cities, the series of paintings raised his ironic question – “Does it make a difference where you live?”
Lam currently lives and works in Hong Kong and Beijing. He uses both traditional (oil, acrylic, charcoal, pencil) and non-traditional (metal nails, sand, plywood) materials to produce beautiful. thought-provoking art works, which resonate with the viewer long after their first encounter. In most of his works, Lam constantly explores the intricate relationship between objects and materials, and adds human touch that makes his works more approachable.
Lam Tung-Pang studies Fine Art at the Chinese University in Hong Kong and MA at Central Saint Martins College of Art in London. In 2004 and 2005, Lam won two significant UK art awards, Young Artist of the Year, Hunting Art Prize UK 2005 and Chichester Open Art UK 2004. In 2006, Lam returned to his motherland where he was awarded with the Schoeni Prize, Sovereign Asian Art Prizes, lived in Beijing and set up his studio for his new exploration journey.
This event is part of the
Supported by the Home Affairs Bureau (Arts Development Fund), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
