MUST-SEE ARTWORKS AT THE ASIA CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW

Asia Contemporary Art Show
10.09.2019 14:00

“Lunch on Skyscraper” by Michel Friess, Pop Art Gallery, China, Room 4308

MUST-SEE ARTWORKS AT THE ASIA CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW

Featuring the Director’s 15 show-stoppers from Asia and the world

Hong Kong, September 10, 2019: In less than 3 weeks, the 15th edition of the Asia Contemporary Art Show – Hong Kong’s most intimate hotel art fair experience, will return alongside Fall auctions by Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Bonhams, Poly Auction, China Guardian, and antiques fair Fine Art Asia. The only contemporary art fair in the second half of the year, the Show opens on October 4th and continues until October 7th at the Conrad Hong Kong. Presented across 65 intimate art living spaces are the most diverse contemporary art being produced today, the Show includes over 1,500 original paintings, limited editions, sculpture, and photography by some of the world's most interesting and promising artists.

Kicking off on Friday, October 4th, arts patrons and select guests will be welcomed at the exclusive Private View. This will be followed by an invitation-only VIP Collectors Preview. General admission opens on Saturday, October 5th and continues with regular show hours until Monday, October 7th.

“With a focus on the shift towards a more intimate and authentic experience, the Asia Contemporary Art Show strives to embody the exceptional international spirit of Hong Kong, a city that is a meeting point for art, ideas and people from all over the world. We will welcome noted galleries and artists from around the globe, some of whom are joining us for the first time.” Remarked Show Director Mark Saunderson. “The four-day event responds to the idea of the experiential age: audiences and collectors enjoy exploring three levels of the five-star Conrad Hong Kong, discovering art that they can take home and enjoy. The Show features Huang Cheng whose works have been lauded for their metaphorical exploration of psychological relationships between individuals and society, with a distinct dark humor regarding history and social contexts, mosaic master turned “slab master” Christophe Dénoux focuses on the balance between color and shape in creating timeless work, Marie-Laurie Viebel’s 24-carat gold gilded artworks contain the rare seed from the Coco de Mer tree that have become symbols of femininity, Wu Qiong, Roberta Boffo, and Irina Kotova, are only some of the many exciting artists to look out for at the Show.”

Saunderson continues, “Approachability gives art buyers a sense of how a favorite artwork may look when hung, introducing new and younger audiences to collecting, and actively building the next generation of supporters of contemporary art. People are invited into a welcoming space to engage and experience a more personal interaction than at the typical large format convention center or tented art fair. This unique experience makes the Asia Contemporary Art Show a vital and truly global cultural event in the city, an experience we’re looking forward to sharing at the 15th edition this October.”

Director’s Choice – Standout Works from around the World

Alexey Lantsev, Russia – Lo Gallery, Room 4119

Alexey Lantsev (b.1970) is interested in finding the balance between the sensory and the structured, the emotional and the logical, and the figurative and the abstract. Lantsev’s masterful paintings play with both our sense of scale and our perception. In his always unexpected interpretation of the world around us, each brushstroke becomes both an abstract component and part of a recognizable whole – at once literal and symbolic.

Lantsev’s efforts result in a series of remarkable paintings – both dynamic and tense, yet harmonious and complete. They seem to reassure us on the one hand and continue to challenge and question us on the other.

"Finnish Swimmer" by Alexey Lantsev, Lo Gallery, Russia, Room 4119

Choi, Jeong-Yun, South Korea – Khalifa Gallery, Room 4321

Choi, Jeong-Yun (b.1964) pursues formal changes and metaphorical expressions using the form of flowers. To Choi, a flower as a sexual organ depicts the origin of a life and the yearnings hidden under its brilliance - created with his imagination. The artist’s new works represent a variety of expressions of human desires and their futility, borrowed from fantasied flowers.

The artist obtained his Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degree from the College of Fine Art, Seoul National University with a major in ceramics. Choi has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in South Korea, USA, France, and many other places across the globe.

"Flesh of Passage" by Choi, Jeong-Yun, Khalifa Gallery, South Korea, Room 4321

Feng Yixuan, China – Pu Xi Tang, Room 4124

Artist Feng Yixuan (b.1992) has always known his inner voice in establishing a solid connection between personal experience and imaginary dreams. He recognizes paintings as a method of communication, which could reflect on the current state ofthepainter himself.

Using low key colors such as grey, white, and sometimes black in his oil paintings, he focuses more into the nature of the object he is presenting instead of merely implying the appearance of the seen object. Feng searches for the connection between objects, as well as the connection between the objects and himself, expressing the internal energy of what he sees in the scene, rather than the scene itself.

"Portrait" by Feng Yixuan, Pu Xi Tang, China, Room 4124

Gosce, South Korea – Yekang Art, Room 4324

Gosce (b.1986) calls his artwork a three-dimensional language. The artist wants to illustrate the rules and/or mechanisms that is believed to be shared throughout the whole universe - brought out by the dots, lines and sides, and what he has managed to express in the space by applying his own rules. Gosce’s name is inspired by “geometry space”. The artist attended École des beaux-arts de Versailles and has held solo exhibitions in France and South Korea.

"Infinite" by Gosce, Yekang Art, South Korea, Room 4324

Christophe Dénoux, France – CWC Consulting & Art, Room 4325

For more than 30 years, Christophe Dénoux (b.1960) has focused his talent on creating stunning artworks out of glass and mosaic. With his particular ability to pursue perfection, each element of Dénoux’s works is unique and never repeated. By combining natural resources with artisan tradition, he aims to renew ancient techniques while giving them a contemporary appeal. Interpreting slab glass colors into sculptural forms, he uses dimension and color to touch the viewer’s deepest emotions, hoping to transport them in time and for all seasons.

"Hope of Light III, Hope of Light opus I - "Timeless" by Christophe Dénoux, CWC Consulting & Art, Hong Kong, Room 4325

Sun Kuan, China – Paramount Gallery, Room 4103

Using abstract and straightforward strokes, Sun Kuan (b.1969) draws gardens of the Yangtze Delta (a triangle-shaped megalopolis comprising the Wu Chinese - speaking areas of Shanghai, Southern Jiangsu province, and Northern Zhejiang province) into paintings, adding a unique artistic concept to form an elegant style. Sun's paintings have both the brushwork of traditional Chinese painting and a gentle, modern atmosphere which transcends the viewers from reality to a spiritual journey with the artist.

"Warm Shadow" by Sun Kuan, Paramount Gallery, China, Room 4103

Chang Feng, Taiwan – WE GALLERY, Room 4121

Chang Feng portrays all kinds of nobodies who struggle with life via all sorts of figures in lively postures, with which he wants to symbolize the various aspects of life. Cheng’s sculptures are inspired by life and nature, he creates works in a simple and unpretentious style and aims to show a bold natural beauty with the texture of materials.

Having worked in sculpture for almost 40 years, the artist is an expert in using well-executed cutting, keeping the lines of his works smooth and clean.

"Viva Glory" by Chang Feng, WE GALLERY, China, Room 4121

Toshimitsu Imai, Japan – Macey & Sons

Toshimitsu Imai (b.1928 - 2002) was an influential 20th-century avant-grade Japanese artist, a key figure of the Art Informel movement. His early days were characterised by an 'ultra-complex structure' using strong colors and heavy brushstrokes. Transcending after the Informel to Ka-Cho-Fu-Getsu (flower, birds, wind, and moon) series, Imai expresses the beauties of nature indicative of his gentle and romantic sensitivity. The artist derived inspiration from a wide range of sources and time periods, including medieval history, philosophy, Fauvism, poetry, and song lyrics.

"Trio Colors" by Toshimitsu Imai, Macey & Sons, Hong Kong

"Happy Life" by Huang Cheng, Sissi's Back Garden Art Gallery, China, Room 4320

Huang Cheng, China – Sissi’s Back Garden Art Gallery, Room 4320

Huang Cheng (b.1983) is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in sculpture from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. His works have been lauded for their metaphorical exploration of psychological relationships between individuals and society, with a distinct dark humor regarding the history and social contexts. A central question in his work is the abstraction of public and private spaces.

Solveig, Australia, Room 4307

Solveig’s work is richly colorful and energetic - not in a frenetic way, but very much alive and vibrating with the contradictions of color combinations. Nature is Solveig’s focus and muse, and once inspired, the artist designs the visual representation that will best express that co-creation. The artist depicts nature in beautiful, calming, healing, and meditative ways while also being dramatic and thought-provoking. From a young age, Solveig curiously observed the world around her: people, life, and herself. The Australian artist is inspired by scenes, elements, and textures - it may be a beautiful natural form or a landscape, a color scheme, the twinkle in an eye, or the way diverse elements juxtapose to express a particular view on life.

"Wet Feet" by Solveig, Australia, Room 4307

Irina Kotova, Russia – Red Square Gallery, Room 4108

Irina Kotova (b.1979) is from Sergeev Posad, an ancient city famous for its cultural and architectural heritage. From her early childhood, she became fascinated by the great masters’ works of famous Andrei Rublev and started to draw. Her artworks are highly recognizable by her unique style and technical mastery. Each of her art pieces harbors ideas and spirituality, is rich in content and has strong symbolical meaning.

“Floating in The Clouds” by Irina Kotova, Red Square Gallery, Hong Kong, Room 4108

Marie-Laure Viebel, France, Room 4326

Marie-Laure Viebel (b.1962) invests in the raw forms of art. Fascinated by the largest seed in the world, her work "Seed of Life" contains the rare and unique seed from the “Coco de Mer” tree, it is first materialized in gilded wood, then in bronze, and finally in glass in the workshops of Murano. Viebel shapes primitive and singular forms, transforming them and immortalizing them as symbols of enlightenment and femininity. Passionate about restoration, painting, and gilding, the artist trained and studied gilding for 12 years in a Parisian workshop to master the complex techniques of this thousand-year-old craft.

“Seed of Life” by Marie-Laure Viebel, France, Room 4326

Wu Qiong, China – M & T ART, Room 4315

Sculptor and painter Wu Qiong (b.1981) creates art that often represents children coming to terms with the world of adulthood, but still remaining distinctly childlike; a suggestion that part of us never truly lets go of childhood. This concept is furthered by the innocent expressions on the faces of his sculptures and paint subjects, which are a great part of their appeal.

Wu creates touching and amusing portraits that are distinctly contemporary in the Chinese art scene. The artist’s fairytale visions of childlike figures against stark backgrounds and pastel skies set him apart from his contemporaries.

“Fairy Tales in the Wind” by Wu Qiong, M & T ART, China, Room 4315

Terry Batt, Australia – Art–Lease, Room 4305

Terry Batt's (b.1949) paintings act as visual puns, a humorous and autobiographical take on order and rationality in the late twentieth century. His work is informed by an American lineage of art-making, and the influence from American pop and folk art are apparent in his classic cars, big cities, and wild west pop romanticism. His paintings are curious figurative tableaus, where absurd figures interact and perform. Batt’s sculptural work features constructed wood or cast bronze characters. These figures have been released from his canvases and appear in real space. His works are a combination of surreal, naïve, and primitive aesthetics.

"Rodd'n Gun" by Terry Batt, Art-Lease, Hong Kong, Room 4305

Roberta Boffo, Hong Kong – Fabrik Creative Space, Room 4224

Roberta Boffo’s (b.1986) radical technique gives life to mesmerizing works, using pen and ink, and calligraphy brush with Chinese ink on paper or canvas. With the intent to confuse and push the viewer outside their comfort zone, Boffo invites the audience to walk into her art, relinquish control, and embrace this dialogue – a therapeutic and meditative journey. Boffo’s art is a collection of monochromatic works, showcasing the peacefulness and calmness in her intricate, highly detailed and lengthy work that feature a myriad of lines, dots, shapes and forms.

"Walls & Windows" (detail) by Roberta Boffo, Fabrik Creative Space, Hong Kong, Room 4224

The Founders of the Asia Contemporary Art Show

The founders and directors of the Asia Contemporary Art Show are three art enthusiasts with more than 30 years’ experience in the region, Mark Saunderson, Douwe Cramer, and Sarah Benecke. Viewed as pioneers in the art space, they consider the interest of artists, galleries and buyers are best served by providing vibrant fairs and online content which stimulate discovery, exploration, and conversations about art. The Asia Contemporary Art Show is Hong Kong’s only art fair that takes place twice a year.

Asia Contemporary Art Buyer

The founders of the Asia Contemporary Art Show also produce Asia’s largest art website, Asia Contemporary Art Buyer (www.asiacontemporaryart.com). The site features over 11,500 artworks from 1,600 artists. Asia Contemporary Art Buyer extends the value of the Asia Contemporary Art Show for both buyers and sellers of art, from an exciting four-day Show with face-to-face engagement with artists and galleries, to 365 days a year and 24/7 online for personal browsing and buying.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

ARTS SPONSOR – MACEY & SONS

Macey & Sons is a Hong Kong-based art brokerage and auctioneer since 2011 that specializes in advising clients on starting or expanding their art collection as alternative investment assets. They are also experts in sourcing and trading art and collectibles around the globe with a unique focus for high appreciation potential and various exit strategies.

PRINCIPAL PARTNER – BUPA GLOBAL

Bupa Global is the international health insurance arm of Bupa, serving customers around the world. We provide products and services for globally minded and mobile people who want the most premium coverage and access to the healthcare they need anytime, anywhere in the world, whether at home or when studying, living, traveling or working abroad. Bupaglobal.com

PRESENTING PARTNER OF INTERSECTIONS: CHINA – CHINA MERCHANTS BANK HONG KONG BRANCH

China Merchants Bank Hong Kong Branch is the first overseas branch of China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. As a fully licensed bank in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong branch provides enterprises and individuals with a full range of commercial banking services. Since its establishment in 2002, the Hong Kong branch has been actively developing distinctive products and services, meanwhile participating in charity to give back to the community.

The Asia Contemporary Art Show would like to acknowledge and thank arts patrons Macey & Sons, BUPA Global, China Merchants Bank Hong Kong Branch, FREYWILLE, Kuehne & Nagel, Venture Studios and FIJI Water; as well as partners Hine, HK Liquor Store, Samuel Adams, Leaf Tea Boutique, Cathay Pacific Airways and The Mercury for their support.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Asia Contemporary Art Show, 15th Edition

Conrad Hong Kong, 41st – 43rd floors

October 4th – 7th, 2019

Opening Hours:

Friday, October 4th

Private View (Invitation only) | 3pm – 5pm

VIP Collectors Preview (Invitation only) | 5pm – 9pm

General Admission:

Saturday, October 5th | 1pm – 8pm

Sunday, October 6th | 1pm – 8pm

Monday, October 7th | 11am – 6pm