From Ancient Stone Carvings to Realistic Landscapes – The Doorway Between Past and Present

The artist Wong Shun-kit says: “When I first saw Hong Kong’s ancient stone carved images, I was immediately fascinated.  After I moved to Hong Kong, I quickly became engrossed in creating a series of new works that were heavily influenced by Hong Kong’s stone carvings.  My early painting style in Hong Kong changed from abstract paintings to works that combined art and the local context.  Because of the unique charm of the Hong Kong’s ancient stone carved lines, I was familiar with the Fringe Club building.  Benny took me on a boat to a secluded island, where we toured the stone carving sites and studied the stone wall statues.  I was quite moved.  So in 1986, an exhibition of my works on the theme of the ancient Hong Kong stone carvings was held at the Fringe Club.

In the final three decades of the last century, political and social upheavals around the world reshaped contemporary art and turned art into sociology.  Not surprisingly, Hong Kong’s society has undergone dramatic changes in the past 30 years, and especially in recent years.  This evolution has injected a new impetus and complex brushstrokes into my work. 

The Fringe Club is an incubator for Hong Kong artists and experimental art here.  Since the 1980s I’ve had six solo exhibitions at the Fringe Club, and my art friends and I have organised more than 10 group exhibitions – themes have included “Participating in Art”, “Pre-97 Art Exhibition”, the “Post-97 Cultural Landscape” series and “Special Statue of the Chief Executive”.  The Fringe Club has been a witness to our historical connection to reality and our reflections on the creative trajectory of each stage of society, and has offered strong support and active promotion.

In addition to purely technical skills, I have needed passion, faith and hope in order to sketch the pathway through history, reality and ideals.  This exhibition has two clues: in the 1980s I created paintings influenced by ancient stone carvings, and in the past seven years I’ve produced social landscapes, including oil paintings, sketches and works in acrylic and ink.  The idea is to juxtapose my earliest works about Hong Kong and my latest works, in the Fringe Club space.  As a summary of a series of creative stages, I reflect on the creative context that evolves and changes through the years, and weave them into my artistic ways of thinking.”

Wong Shun-kit’s Biography

1982 Graduated from the Shanghai Academy of performing Arts in Stage Design

1983 Immigrated to Hong Kong and engaged in art creation, advertisement design, stage art design

1989 Hong Kong Urban Council Fine Art Award (Painting)

1991 International Visual Arts Award United States of Information Agency & Mid America Art Alliance USA

1996 Established the Commune of Art, Hong Kong

1996 Honorary Adviser of Hong Kong Art Promotion Panel of Hong Kong Museum of Art

1997 Artist of Year Award 1997 Hong Kong Artists’ Guide (Painting & Installation)

2000-04 Chairman of Visual Arts Committee of Hong Kong Arts Development Council

2001 Deputy-Convener of Hong Kong pavilion of the 49th Venice Biennale

2003 Deputy-Convener of Hong Kong pavilion of the 50th Venice Biennale

2011 Co-curator, Hong Kong pavilion of the 54th Venice Biennale

2013-16 Member of Organizing China Private Art Museum Development Forum

2014 Curator, Himalayas Museum pavilion of Marrakech Biennale

2014 Member of the Review Committee at the Tenth Gwangju Art Biennial

2015 Curator, Humanistic Nature and Society (Shan-shui)–An Insight into the Future Collateral Event of the 56th Venice Biennial    

2015 Co-curator of “Dun Huang-Song of Living Being” Exhibition in Shanghai

Solo Exhibition (Selection)

1985 Solo Exhibition (Hong Kong Fringe Club)

1986 Painting Inspired by Hong Kong Ancient Rock Carvings (Hong Kong Fringe Club)

1992 Rites to Travel - Installation exhibition (School of Art of Rutgers University, USA)

1995 Basic Space - Installation Exhibition (Hong Kong Arts Centre)

1997 Wong Shun-kit Recent Work Exhibition (Hong Kong Fringe Club)

1997 Hong Kong Arts Series-Wong Shun-kit Exhibition (Hong Kong Museum of Art)

2002 From Complex to Simple - the Restoration of Painting an Exhibition by Wong Shun-Kit (Goethe Institute, Hong Kong)

2011 To Lead a Life the Revolving Scenic Lamp- Wong Shun-kit Painting Exhibition (99 Art Center Fine Art College of Shanghai University)

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