「梅花萰菊松柏荷，風光四季占不多。」當城市急速變異，植物依然一歲一枯榮。「植物之聯想」是三位女子為我城譜寫的植物圖鑑。
When the city is rapidly transforming, the beauty of nature endures, with each plant flourishing and withering year after year. ‘Botanical Evocations’ is the botanical illustration handbook authored by three ladies for our city.
Why it matters:
長鬍鬚老伯是現代人對於中國畫畫家的印象，這是明清以來的名家張大千、齊白石等的影響，但從來中國古畫就由少年獨當一面：王希孟在十八歲完成工筆重彩畫《千里江山圖》，明代仇英二十二歲與文徵明創作《摹李公麟蓮社圖》，及至清代沈銓亦二十歲作畫為生。參展的三位藝術家均為土生土長的年輕女子，她們以工筆畫呈現香港的城市面貌。陳瑞瑩素愛以水墨寫景，描繪季節的變幻，隱喻曖昧縹緲的情愫；鄭丹珊善繪靜物、人物及自然景象，以諷剌和象徵抒發情感；賴筠婷同樣擅以水墨描繪大自然的動物、以中國工筆描繪人像和日常生活情景，表達她對生活的熱愛。她們以工筆畫畫出本土植物和風景，展現香港獨有的景致：蓮香樓、欽州街棚仔、旺角雀仔街、花墟……讓觀眾回憶自己走過的足跡。
Long-bearded old men are the modern impression of Chinese painters, influenced by famous artists such as Zhang Daqian (1899–1983) and Qi Baishi (1864–1957) since the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, in ancient China, young people have always been prominent in painting: Wang Ximeng (1096-1119) completed the meticulous and colourful painting “Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” at the age of eighteen, Ming dynasty artist Ch’iu Ying (1494-1552) collaborated with Wen Cheng-ming (1470-1559) to create the painting “Li Kung-lin’s Lotus Society” at the age of twenty-two, and in the Qing dynasty, Shen Quan (1644–1912) also made a living from painting at the age of twenty. The three artists participating in the exhibition are all young ladies from Hong Kong who present the urban landscape of the city in Chinese Fine Brush painting. Chan Sui-ying loves to depict scenery in ink, portraying the changes of seasons, hinting at ambiguous and ethereal feelings; Sam Cheng excels in painting still life, figures, and natural landscapes, expressing emotions through satire and symbolism; Lai Kwan Ting similarly excels in depicting animals in nature with ink, portraying portraits and daily life scenes in traditional Chinese meticulous style, expressing her love for life. This time, they use Chinese Fine Brush painting to depict local plants and landscapes, showcasing the unique scenery of Hong Kong: Lin Heung Tea House, Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar, Mong Kok Bird Street, flower markets… allowing the audience to reminisce about their own footsteps.
3 Hightlights:
．植物可謂三位藝術家創作的共通點，因此展覽題為《植物之聯想》，以植物為起點，讓三位畫家自由聯想。陳瑞瑩化身都市園丁，把地縫牆角的野草細心紀錄，彷彿城市是個大型花園，而每棵植物的生長狀態都值得精確記載。圖譜式的錄載，如同古籍。乳仔草、蒺藜草、苦麻賽葵……你又是否知曉它們在城市夾縫中搖曳生姿?
．Plants is a common theme in the works of the three artists, hence the exhibition is titled “Botanical Evocations”, using plants as the starting point for the three painters to freely associate. Chan Sui-ying, transforming into an urban gardener, carefully documents the wild grass in the cracks and corners of the city, as if the city is a large garden, and the growth of each plant is worth recording precisely. The pictorial recording resembles ancient texts. Have you ever noticed the milkweed, burdock, and bitter melon growing gracefully in the crevices of the city?
．近年大興城市散步學，當我們成為漫遊者（flâneur），留神甚麼，錯過甚麼？雖然植物未必是我們視角的焦點，但當它們消失，城市突兀的景觀必然讓我們不適。鄭丹珊憑空把一顆若大的樹放置在中環的蓮香樓後，位於威靈頓街與鴨巴甸街交界。鬧市中怎可能有大樹作背景。而畫中的葉子更彷彿凌空懸掛，樹幹不見蹤影，雲裏霧裏，讓人不明所以。創始於清代廣州的蓮香樓，在中環的分號不敵疫情而結業。工筆畫的作法與現代的路牌、的士、小巴，是刻意的錯置，讓觀眾仿似回到上世紀的蓮香樓，但又像是一場夢。當習以為常的逐一消失，它們便只能存活在每個人的記憶中；擷取最日常的細節，讓它們在消失前，像夢一樣的存在過。
．In recent years, city strolling has gained popularity. When we become ‘flâneurs’, what do we pay attention to? What do we miss? Although plants may not always be the focus of our attention, their disappearance would surely make the cityscape feel abrupt and uncomfortable. Sam Cheng whimsically places a tree, seemingly large, behind the Lin Heung Tea House in Central, at the intersection of Wellington Street and Arbuthnot Road. How could there be such a big tree as a backdrop in the bustling city? Moreover, the leaves in the painting seem to hang in mid-air, with no sign of the tree trunk, shrouded in clouds and mist, leaving viewers puzzled. Lin Heung Tea House in Central, originating from Qing dynasty in Guangzhou, closed down due to the pandemic. The Chinese Fine Brush painting style juxtaposed with modern elements like street sign, taxi and minibus is a deliberate displacement, making viewers feel as though they have returned to the Lin Heung Tea House of the last century while it also feels like a dream. When the accustomed gradually vanish one by one, they can only survive in the memory of individuals; captures the most mundane details, let them exist like a midsummer night’s dream before disappearing.
．植物除了與建築互動，構成我們熟悉的街景，也走進家居環境。植物可否是對認真生活的象徵？賴筠婷把洋紫荊及從花墟買來的小百合花束融入她的室內空間。插花的風尚歷史悠久，於宋明蔚然成風，當然發展出藝術的標準。賴的作品讓花藝不再只是古代文人雅興，隨意插放的小百合入畫，不失典雅清幽，讓觀眾不禁幻想她生活的環境、打理生活的點滴以及她對生活的熱情。
．In addition to interacting with architecture and shaping the familiar street scenes, plants also find their way into our homes. Could plants be the symbol of sincerity towards living? Lai Kwan Ting integrates bougainvillea and a bouquet of lilies bought from the flower market into her indoor space. The tradition of flower arrangement has a long history, flourishing during the Song and Ming dynasties and naturally evolving artistic standards. Lai’s work elevates flower arrangement beyond a pastime of ancient literati; the casually arranged lilies in her painting exude elegance and tranquility, prompting viewers to imagine her living environment, the details of her life, and her passion for living.
Background – Chan Sui-ying, Sam Cheng and Lai Kwan Ting:
陳瑞瑩於香港中文大學藝術系先後修畢學士學位（2014）及碩士研究生學位（2017）。研究方向為重審裝裱與水墨呈現的關係及意涵，透過中文大學文物館館友會基金到日本學習裝裱。正在港兼任裝裱學徒。陳氏捕捉季節間的自然異象，將稍縱即逝的感情脈絡與節氣更替化為隱喻，指涉各類微妙的關係。透過聯想寫景及造境，勾勒起曖昧不明的關係與情愫，創作情境兼備的水墨作品。於修業期間幾度獲獎，包括王無邪現代水墨創作獎、香港工筆畫會創作獎及詹雲白夫人紀念中國書畫獎。
Chan Sui-ying, Zaffer obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2014 and the Master of Fine Arts in 2017 respectively. Her major research interests are contemporary relationship between ink arts and mounting. The artist captures the abnormalities or transformation of seasons, marked with her delicate emotions and surrealistic arrangements of objects, to present to the viewer the ambiguity of relationships. Using Chan’s vivid imagination, the portrayal of sentimental and spiritual scenery is created to evoke the interrelation of man and nature. Chan has received several awards, including the Wucius Wong Modern Ink Painting Award Hong Kong, Chinese Meticulous Painting Association Creative Award and the Madam Jan Yun-bor Memorial Award for Chinese Painting and Calligraphy.
鄭丹珊2014年畢業於香港中文大學藝術系，擅於描繪靜物、人物及自然景象，以諷剌或象徵的手法呈現出矛盾、無奈等情感，抒寫出對身邊事物的情感。利用傳統工整細密的工筆技巧，加入一些現代化的新原素以及個人多愁善感的情感，塑造出富人性化的現代水墨畫。用線勾勒出經遇過的事跡；用墨沉澱/分染出不同層次的感受；用色罩染了情感的釋放。三者揉合成為一個和諧的整體，產生一種墨氣沉着端莊，色澤恬淡幽靜，線條剛柔並濟的新語言，浸透著人間的柔情。線、墨、色使其紙張更富意境和感染力，朦朧迷離的氣氛，更別具意蘊。
Sam Cheng graduated from the Fine Arts Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2016. She is good at depicting still life, characters, and natural scenes. Her works express her inner feeling such as ambivalence and helplessness towards things that happened around, using sarcasm or symbolism imagery. With traditional fine brushwork painting skills, while she adds some modern elements and her sentimental emotions besides the meticulous technique to the paintings, the art pieces become rich of humanized. She is adept in using lines to outline stories and dying different gradations of ink and colours to present specific emotions. Her accomplished technique helps to knead a whole new language — calm and dignified ink together with rigid and soft lines, soaking in the tenderness of the world.
賴筠婷2008年畢業於香港中文大學藝術系，並於2011年完成藝術碩士課程，主修中國畫。現於香港大學專業進修學院兼職任教。 賴氏認為藝術源於對生活的熱愛，對生命的尊重，對創造主的回應。她擅以水墨為媒介描繪大自然的動物、以中國工筆描繪人像和日常生活情景，筆觸溫婉細膩。
Lai Kwan Ting graduated from the Fine Arts Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2008 and received her Master of Fine Art in Chinese painting 2011, Lai constantly teaches some short courses at HKUSPACE. Lai believes that art is an expression of the artist’s passion for living. It is a sign of respect towards life and a response to the creation of God. She likes using ink to paint animals in nature, using gongbi to do portraits and depict scenes of everyday life in loving details.
Final Tips:
舉辦是此展覽的藝廊Touch，坐落於歷史與藝術交織的大館。成立五年，從一個陶藝展覽及體驗空間發展成三個獨立而又互相呼應的空間，透過創新多元的展覽，讓大家看見更多本地藝術。
The gallery, Touch, which holds this exhibition was founded in Tai Kwun, where history and art are intertwined. Touch Gallery has developed from a ceramics specialised gallery to three independent and mutually echoing contemporary art gallery spaces. Through innovative and diverse exhibitions, it is a gateway to Hong Kong local art.
《植物之聯想》“Botanical Evocations”
Date:
2024. 2. 20 – 2024. 3. 15
Venue:
Touch Gallery
香港中環荷李活道 10 號 大館3 座 103 室
Room 103, 1/F Block 3 Barrack Block, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, HK