PLURALITY - EXHIBITIO OF LUCILLE LO YUK-YIN at Grotto Fine Art in June 2011
Artist Statement
Over the years, my relationship with Hong Kong, has surfaced as something very important to me as an artist; so much so that it has evolved to become the principal subject of my creative endeavors. If one were to contemplate upon Hong Kong’s state of being, he is to realize that the city has had to experience a number of struggles to establish its identity.The history of the city is dotted with a number of bumps along the road that has forged Hong Kong into what it is today. Such would include social issues, which range from the hardship prior to the 70’s through to the economic boom at present. The city’s relationship with aspiration, its diligence and the legacy of being a subject of colonial rule constitute fundamental elements, which have steered the evolution of social consciousness in Hong Kong. As such, the people of Hong Kong and their culture are often recurring themes expressed in my work.
Amongst many aspects of social phenomenon, my work has tried to illustrate the polarities and coexistence of the East and West, which exist in Hong Kong. The dichotomy arises from a colonial past, which has left its fingerprints upon a city indelibly Chinese. Thus, a certain social aspects and a few Chinese ancient philosophies have been used together in conjunction to illustrate these phenomena. My work also examines the assiduous attitude in the city, which is epitomized in the following Chinese maxim: ‘Golden houses come from books’ and attempts to incorporate such sayings, which are multifaceted and reflect the industrious and success aspiring mentality of the people.
The advent of the second millennium has seen new shifts in philosophy and civic attitudes within Hong Kong. Upon its return to China in 1997, Hong Kong has become aware of its own values and currently searches for the many positive aspects of its collective identity. The qualities have been hard-won and include such traits as openness, fairness, equity and law abidance. With this imperative in mind, a project which I coin ‘Reconstruction’ was launched. The term ‘Reconstruction’ is multi-faceted and could mean the rebuilding of many aspects of the society, which include its collective ego, spirit, social culture, civic attitude and national pride. By employing a traditional and symbolic material such as bamboo I have been able to present a series of works in relation to the local society’s present sentiment, in an attempt to give a depiction on the city’s resilient spirit along with a gradual build-up of nationalism and newfound awareness of its own self. ‘Reconstruction’ aims to present a manifestation of this particular spirit in Hong Kong today.
I am not alone among artists who are striving to express the fusion and the contradiction of these two cultures. My work is intended to engage directly with this on-going dialogue and search for the integration of diverse cultural concepts in art.
18.4.2011
自序
多元印象
年復一年，香港與我的藝術，關係日益密切，甚至成為我作品的一大靈感泉源。細想之下，若非經過幾番奮鬥掙扎，我們這個都會實難確立今天的地位。回顧舊日往事，從70年代前艱苦辛酸的營營役役，到今時今日暢旺的經濟發展，一路走來，可謂不無坎坷。歸根究底，發奮圖強，積極向上，以至經歷英國的殖民地統治，都在香港人的意識形態中留下深刻烙印。由於深有體會，香港人與香港文化便成為我作品中常見的題材。
香港以一個準華人社會，但卻長期接受英國文化，影響所及，東西兩極文化，竟在這個彈丸之地並行不悖，互相輝映。我的作品，正要結合某些本土文化意識與中國古代哲學思想，凸顯這種社會現象。除此以外，在香港，人人勤奮向上，希望事業有成，所謂“書中自有黃金屋”等，更成為不少人的人生格言。於是，我又利用代表香港人心態的種種諺語，以圖從不同角度，探討香港人上進努力的拼搏性格。
香港人的思想態度，在踏入20世紀的前夕，又再經歷一變。在1997年回歸中國後，香港發現自己的價值所在，並一直不斷探索作為香港人的優點，其中包括開放開明、公道持平、一視同仁、奉公守法等來之不易的特質。我由此得到啟發，於是開始創作《重組》系列。所謂《重組》，具有多重意義，可以泛指香港自行重塑社會的方方面面，包括精神面貌、社會文化、公民態度、民族自豪感等等。至於媒介方面，選用竹這類傳統寓意豐富的物料，是希望映照香港文化，寓意香港人在民族意識逐漸抬頭的今天，重拾自我，繼續堅韌不屈，奮發自強。
我與不少藝術家一般，力求表現中西兩種文化如何相沖相剋，卻又調和共濟。我希望通過作品，帶出這種直接對話，探索如何利用藝術，將多種文化觀念融和為一。
盧玉燕 2011年4月18日
(林海燕譯)
In Search of Nostalgia
Let us slow down our pace and take time to ponder upon our disappearing cultural aspects.
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| In Search of Nostalgia, Ink, paper, acrylic, mixed media, 89 x 104 cm, 2011 |
Co-existence and Plurality
Co-existence and Plurality strive to explore the multiple mind-sets existing in Hong Kong society.
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| Plurality, Ink, paper, acrylic, mixed media, 91.4 x 91.5 cm, 2011 |
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| Coexistence II, Ink, paper, acrylic, mixed media, 91.5 x 91.5 cm, 2010 |
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