ART WEEK HIGHLIGHT - THE ASIA CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW, HONG KONG’S MOST INTIMATE ART FAIR

Asia Contemporary Art Show
12.3.2019, 08:30

“Culture Aggravation” (detail) by Lu Fang, Donna Art & Consulting, Taiwan, Room 4222

ART WEEK HIGHLIGHT: THE ASIA CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW, HONG KONG’S MOST INTIMATE ART FAIR

Featuring Exciting Artworks from Asia and the World

Hong Kong, March 12, 2019: In less than 3 weeks the 14thedition of the Asia Contemporary Art Show will open. Happening alongside Art Basel and Art Central during Hong Kong Art Week, the Show opens on March 29thand continues until April 1stat the Conrad Hong Kong. As the most intimate and longest-running hotel art fair in Asia, the Show will feature the most compelling contemporary art being produced today: original paintings, limited editions, sculpture and photography by some of the world's most interesting and promising artists.

Beginning on Friday, March 29th, arts patrons and select guests will be welcomed at the exclusive UnionPay Private View, followed by the invitation-only UnionPay VIP Collectors Preview. General admission opens on Saturday, March 30th and continues until Monday, April 1st. The Show is well-known as an intimate art experience like no other and is expected to be another hit, drawing a crowd of 15,000 over four days in its last edition.

“We certainly deliver the most intimate art encounter during Art Week and it’s our most powerful point of difference. Instead of offering art on an industrial scale and often jaw-dropping prices, we focus on artworks you can buy and sowing some lasting relationships through art. There’s a noticeable shift of mindset too in Hong Kong, from mass-produced and one-size-fits-all in favor of a desire for craft and an appreciation for bespoke. That’s where we step up.” remarked Show Director Mark Saunderson.

“At the Asia Contemporary Art Show, we strive for an exciting mix of art, to take buyers on a meaningful journey of discovery and learning with art surprises around every corner. This 14thedition is certainly no exception, with plenty to look out for including three-dimensional collage artist Abelardo Hernandez from Cuba, Russian artist Eugenia Jaeger whose works are characterized by a pronounced transformation of the image and minimization of the environment, Turkish artist Coplu’s whimsical yet thought-provoking and often optimistic compositions, Filipino animator Norlito Meimban, Lu Fang from Taiwan whose self-portrait playfully intrudes in classical paintings, South Korean sculptor Kang Sung Uck, and Yoichiro Nishimura whose images are surrounded by a subtly cool and mysterious dream-like atmosphere.”

Saunderson continues, “Every exhibition space at the Asia Contemporary Art Show is different. Curated with welcome in mind and designed for a more emotional connection to the art on show, every guest through our doors receives a welcome like no other art fair. A door held open, a welcome drink, and total immersion in a unique environment of genuine hospitality and luxury. We are excited to present our visitors another opportunity to meet interesting people and to learn something new through art: Shota Suzuki captures subtle changes found through seasonal beauty in his metal sculptures, Louise Farnay experiments with reflection, refraction, illusion, and distortion in her hyper-realist oil paintings, Christopher Marley - a naturalist whose studio in Beijing is the first entity to be granted legal permission to import insect specimens into China, Lampo Leong whose internationally acclaimed works can be found in more than 10 museums and hundreds of notable corporate and private collections, to name a few.”

Director’s Choice –

12 Must-See Artworks from Emerging and Established Artists

“A Man and a Woman” by Kang Sung Uck, Khalifa Gallery, South Korea, Room 4308

Kang Sung Uck, South Korea – Khalifa Gallery, Room 4308

The works of Kang Sung Uck (b. 1963) depicts the effect of afterglow on our brain. Using dimensional stereoscopic shapes and two-sided images, the artist represents visual beauty, continuity, harmony, and sense of speed, connecting the changes of time and the traces of life with the present. He graduated from the Kunstakademie Münster - University of Fine Arts Münster, and his works are collected by the National Museum of Contemporary Art of Korea.

Louise Farnay, Australia, Room 4112

Louise Farnay’s recent works include detailed studies in oil using a hyper-realistic technique of feminine figures half submerged under water, experimenting with reflection, refraction, illusion, and distortion. Heavily influenced by the vast expanse of the Western Australian coastline and the pristine turquoise blue and emerald green Indian Ocean, Farnay’s works arouse the senses with mesmerizing oceanic hues of reef-like abstract painting interpretations.

“Exhale” by Louise Farnay, Australia, Room 4112

Norlito Meimban, Philippines – Galleria Camaya, Room 4307

Active and widely prolific artist Norlito Meimban (b. 1966) has injected assimilation, evolution, and experimentation into his creative process resulting in a diverse and constantly fresh body of works. The former animator turned full-time painter has distinguished himself for his signature style of integrating animation drawing techniques into the canvas in a unique manner that imbibes his paintings with a vibrant and lively quality. Throughout his colorful and notable artistic career, he continues to reflect on the meaning of motion by exploring its unique and boundless dimensions.

“Blurred Thoughts” by Norlito Meimban, Galleria Camaya, Philippines, Room 4307

Christopher Marley, United States, Room 4006

Christopher Marley (b. 1969) is an American artist and naturalist born in Los Angeles. His unique aesthetic was honed while working for iconic fashion brands. Marley’s artworks have been exhibited in over 500 galleries and special exhibits worldwide and have been licensed by the World Wildlife Fund, National Geographic Explorer, Kyoto Journal, Science News, Johns Hopkin University Press, and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London.

“CMC - 15” by Christopher Marley, United States, Room 4006

“Two Roses” by Kim II Tae, Aureo Gallery, China, Room 4107

Kim Il Tae, South Korea – Aureo Gallery, Room 4107

South Korean artist Kim Il Tae (b. 1956) is the first and only artist who paints, sculpts, and etches pure gold on canvas instead of gold leaf or gold foil. Kim’s paintings are made with 24 karat gold, with 999 parts per thousand of gold in its purest form. Mythical and real creatures such as dragons and horses, flowers and nature, and other Eastern figures and motifs appear in the artist’s craftsmanship with layers of gold.

Through the artist’s research, he stood out to become the figure of an artist as an alchemist, blending gold with natural oils and a special glue of his own mixture.

Yoichiro Nishimura, Japan – Fabrik Gallery, Room 4324

Yoichiro Nishimura (b. 1967) is a photographer who explores camera-less photography, particularly Photogram (exposing an object on top of a paper coated with silver chloride and silver nitrate to light) and Scangram (a digital version of Photogram pioneered by Nishimura). He has been exhibiting photographic works using various motifs including plants, water, insects and nudes.

“Chinese St. John's Wort” by Yoichiro Nishimura, Fabrik Gallery, Hong Kong, Room 4324

Song Yong Hua, China – V’ Art Space, Room 4204

Song Yong Hua (b. 1975) paints landscapes that are influenced by traditional Chinese forms of art, adapting calligraphy, ancient poetry, and painting in his works. Song uses clever techniques to shorten the space-time distance between the viewer and his works. With themes of melancholy, perplexity, and unlimited accountability, he turns traditional brushwork into contemporary artwork with a strong composition like visual poems on a canvas, capturing natural wonders.

“Rhythm” by Song Yong Hua, V’ Art Space, Malaysia, Room 4204

“Control No.78” by Shi Lifeng, Joy Art, China, Room 4225

Shi Lifeng, China – Joy Art, Room 4225

Shi Lifeng’s (b. 1968) works characterized by intense black and red color palette display the evolution from Social Realism to the starting points of Expressive Individualism in Chinese Contemporary Art. In “Peach Blossom Spring” and “Dream Land”, red figures move towards nature from an enclosed environment to represent an illusion of utopia, a form of psychological comfort for the artist. For this series, Shi changed his painting technique, using new materials and colors to explore a new spirit – one that is more idealized and shows the spirit of the time.

“Tiny Piece in Autumn 001” by Shota Suzuki, Artists in Taiwan, Taiwan, Room 4312

Shota Suzuki, Japan – Artists in Taiwan, Room 4312

Shota Suzukiʼs (b. 1987) sculptures are made in metal such as copper, brass and silver. Suzuki tries to pursue the balance between the energy and intimacy that emanates from both nature and metal. Suzuki is interested in capturing subtle changes found through seasonal beauty, such as seeing a first spring flower coming into bloom on the street and water drops falling from a tree into a puddle creating a ripple.

Han Yajuan, China – Macey & Sons, Room 4226

Han Yajuan (b. 1980) is one of several Chinese artists of her generation referred to as the “Cartoon Generation”. Her works feature female subjects based on the Japanese anime style with disproportionate body parts. Influences come from the works of Japanese Manga cartoonists and the kawaii concept which emphasizes what is thought to be cute. The style was named Animamix by a professor called Victoria Lu.

“Faith Little Blueprint” by Han Yajuan, Macey & Sons, Hong Kong, Room 4226

Abelardo Hernandez, Cuba – Carre d’artistes, Room 4126

Abelardo Hernandez (b. 1966) plays with collages, inviting with provocation discovery of pockets of silence and the importance of its origins: hope and freedom. He wants to achieve with these assemblies the vision that he is attempting to depict. His painting is imbued with strength and colour. Abelardo’s favourite themes are women and animals, from which he extracts grace and elegance. His work with volume gives life and strength to the characters.

“Crane 1” by Abelardo Hernandez, Carre d'artistes, Hong Kong, Room 4126

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 PARTNERS AND SPONSORS

Lead Partner UnionPay International

UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay focused on the growth and support of UnionPay’s global business. In partnership with more than 2,000 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 174 countries and regions with issuance in 51 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost-effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world’s largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.

The Asia Contemporary Art Show would like to acknowledge and thank arts patrons UnionPay International, Strabens Hall, Kuehne & Nagel, Royce Cellar and FIJI Water; as well as hospitality partners Hine, HK Liquor Store, Samuel Adams and Leaf Tea Boutique for their support.