Lucille Yuk Yin Lo

走在藝術路上

當初尋覓創作方向時，我發現自己最關心的，始終是我身處的城市、城中的男女與城裏的文化。就這樣，這八九年來，香港成了我作品的主調。不過，隨着對社會認識日深，目光的焦點卻逐漸從繽紛撩人的光影點滴，轉移到城中個別層面的人與事上。過去四年，我不斷探索身邊的一切，讓我益發感到，不但香港文化傳承有自，就連香港人的意識形態、自我形象亦同樣有迹可尋。新作便是希望以嶄新手法，描繪我眼中的香港身分，並敍述香港的文化認知與文化傳承。

香港人在過去40年所譜寫的，是一部奮鬥史。不管是60年代的社會動盪紛擾，還是較近期的文化身分危機，香港人都在現實生活各內心世界裏，不斷拼搏掙扎。在昔日的殖民統治下，香港經濟起飛，商業文化逐漸見諸都市人的言行態度和處事方式。到了21世紀，香港社會更是矛盾處處，面貌紛陳，儒家思想與西方哲學的不同取態，看似相衝，卻又兼容。這些多元價值，正好通過糅合中國傳統哲學、道家思想、西方中古煉金術等元素，以鋁金屬一類的象徵物料作為視覺語言，讓觀者從《閃爍的東西不一定是黃金(二)》(2007)與《閃爍的屋脊》(2007)等作品中，探問金光燦爛背後的真實意義。

《閃爍的東西不一定是黃金(二)》鋁片及綜合媒體 2007

《閃爍的屋脊》鋁片及綜合媒介 2007

在創作方面改弦易轍，大概始於10年前。那時候，我從事當代中國藝術已長達20年，一心只想在紙上重現大自然的神妙奧秘。久而久之，但覺社會現象比自然現象更為吸引，於是不得不另闢創作谿徑。藝術世界既然並無國界之分，我於是毅然踏上西方藝術的征途，希望從多種媒介得到啟示。無可否認，途中的風光確實旖旎，但我卻沒有因此流連忘返。今天，我這個旅人決定重回故里，借助中國藝術的媒介與精神，配合西方的感性與構圖，呈現香港的多元文化與全球一體現象。在我的作品中，不單水墨元素與抽象手法兼備，就是平面繪畫與混合媒體裝置亦雙軌並行，在中外美學結合下，本土情懷與異國風情渾然一體。不過，我的目的卻不在於再來一次東西契合，而是在於印證自己的一貫信念，那就是藝術本該沒有樊籬，不論是泊來的元素，還是泊來的文化，都可以兼收並蓄，不然，視覺語言便不能豐富多彩，更遑論拓境開新。

踏入21世紀，香港的思想形態與公民價值起了變化。回歸祖國11年後，香港人對自己有了新的認識，並正竭力發掘自己的優點和價值。誠然，思想開明、講求公平、以和為貴、包容忍讓、尊重法治，這些都是香港人的獨有特質。有感於此，我開始以“重組”為中心，構思在新作中重組這些社會面貌。作品要“重組”的，是整體社會的方方面面，舉凡自我身分、精神意識、公民態度、文化取向、民族尊嚴等，無不包括在內。《重組(一)》(2006)以竹子為素材，是因為竹子傳統色彩濃厚，極富象徵意義，正好寓意香港文化，映照在民族意識逐漸抬頭的今天，香港人重拾自我、堅韌不屈的奮鬥精神。

《重組(一)》竹及綜合媒介 2006

在藝術路上探索，有助我釐清香港身分的核心所在。香港儘管外表洋化，但是骨子裏卻始終對傳統不離不棄。在這條東西相碰相交的藝術大道上，同路的自然大不乏人，我只是希望自己也能夠親身走上一回，嘗試將不同的文化觀念融為一體，看看風光又會如何。

盧玉燕
(林海燕譯)

Tale of a City, 2015

Artist at work

Exhibition Title: Nu Yishu: Thread

Title of Work: Tale of a City

Artist Statement

In the project ‘Thread’, Lucille attempts to depict a certain ethos and phenomena of the city she lives in. In response to Hong Kong’s historical heritage, ‘Tale of a City’ borrowed both from old-day Chinese idioms and contemporary conceptual ideas as its method of communication. It aims to present a narrative of characteristics, which formed the culture of this unique city.

Lucille’s endeavor to capture Hong Kong’s distinctiveness leads her inspiration flowing from one subject to another and her research threads through diverse sectors of the city’s social consciousness.

Phenomena of Hong Kong, paper, ink, objects, mixed media, size variables, 2015

Details: Solitude at the Top, 2015

Details: Golden Houses Come from Books, 2015

Details: Strength in Adversity, 2015

Tale of a City, paper, ink, objects, mixed media, size variables 2015

Tale of a City (partial), paper, ink, objects, mixed media, size variables, 2015

Tale of a City (Partial), paper, ink, objects, mixed media, size variables, 2015

Tale of a City, paper, ink, objects, mixed media, size variables, 2015 at Long Gallery Montsalvat

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

多元印象

自序

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.

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.

Plurality, Ink, paper, acrylic, mixed media, 91.4 x 91.5 cm, 2011

Coexistence II, Ink, paper, acrylic, mixed media, 91.5 x 91.5 cm, 2010

Reconstruction VII 重組 (七)

In 2008, ten years after the ‘Handover’, Hong Kong society is experiencing a new consciousness of its own values and assets and is conscientiously searching for the many positive aspects of Hong Kong’s collective character. It is my personal perception of these shifts in philosophy, social attitude and nationalistic sentiment in Hong Kong that inspired me to do a series of work titled Reconstruction. Reconstruction could mean the rebuilding of many facets of the society – its collective ego, identity, spirit, social consciousness, civic attitude, culture or national pride.

Bamboo commands a profound significance in Chinese life and culture. Its tenacity and other human-like traits are analogous to the city’s strength and resilience. The use of bamboo as a signifier in this work indicates the city’s progressive endorsement of its Chinese culture and affiliation with China. Hong Kong’s journey to prosperity has not been always straight and smooth. It has gone through many economic downturns and suffered an intense period of anxiety before the ‘Handover’. Today, it has emerged from the colonial background stronger and more confident of itself. Its people are enjoying the emergence of a new awareness of civic attitude and a new sense of identity and national pride. (written in 2008)

(Footnote: In 2018, unfortunately the society's harmony and positive attitudes are dissipating.)

Reconstruction VII, Mixed media: bamboo, wood, paper, canvas, lighting, Size: installation, variable, 2009

Details

Analogous to a bruised national ego, stalks of bamboo were cut into pieces, beaten and burnt, being imbued with a bruised look. But the burnt and beaten bamboo sticks, when rebuilt and re-polished, achieved a distinctive look. By now, their sawn and beaten marks are no longer scars, but acquired marks of endurance and experience. The polished sticks have a sheen, which proclaims with pride its transformation into a sophisticated configuration. 'Reconstruction' strives to give sense to Hong Kong's efforts to remake itself after the colonial era.