Cognizance

Solo Exhibition at the Anderson Foothill Library (August 13 - October 6, 2022)

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Cognizance is a series of paintings that explore my identity as a “Hong Konger” and a commentary on the unsettling situation of my home. In this series, the seemingly colorful and playful tones are a product of the memories I hold, mingled with the feelings of what my home has now become. Old restaurants, street markets, newspaper stands, neon signs, busy roads. These are all commonplace in Hong Kong, but also stand as symbols to politically sensitive events that have happened over the recent years. Imagining people under such political instabilities, many of them forced to censor themselves and cloak their true beliefs. Eventually, someone as modest as a fruit seller may need to seek cover behind a painted mask, much like actors in the Cantonese opera; or see themselves disappear entirely. The purpose of this exhibition is to give tribute to the millions of hard-working individuals in Hong Kong who have made this city flourish in the past decades. While at the same time, remaining cognizant to their everyday realities.

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