A Painstaking Ode to Freedom
In 2016, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Center for the Arts (CFA) held the “Small Oil Paintings by Lake Lu School Artists from Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taiwan Exhibition”. Chen Keng, the Vice President of Guangzhou Municipal Artist Association and a scholarly oil painter, was invited to the opening ceremony. On this occasion, he mentioned about his long-cherished but unrealized aspiration to create a series of painting on the theme of the freedom of flying of the humankind. This idea was immediately supported by CFA and HKUST Library and eventually developed into the Artist-in-Residence 2018 project. Being a member of Guangzhou Municipal Artist Association and living in Hong Kong, I naturally became the coordinator of the project, working closely with both sides and helping Chen with his research on the theme. Over the past two years, I have observed and witnessed the painstaking process of the birth of the exhibits.
Chen’s creation this time is a long-term exploration into the human thoughts of flying freely. It is a spiritual process in which individuality is constantly probed, enriched and condensed. The artist uses impressionism and visualization to convey a deeper philosophical meaning, letting people feel the significance beyond the visual imagery, inspiring further self-exploration among viewers. The paintings are composed in golden ratio. The novel, asymmetrical approach evokes a unique charm, creating a rhythm which enhances the dynamism and aesthetic of the images. The works are accompanied by a concise narrative, presenting a poetic fusion of words and imagery. The paintings’ reconfiguration of objects expresses an infinite supernatural surrealism that goes beyond time and space, creating a sense of mystery and contradiction with strong visual impact. Through symbolic imagery, the paintings express human beings’ desire to soar freely despite the arduous journey in achieving this ideal. They reveal antithetical concepts in the world: existence and illusion, sweetness and bitterness, conflict and harmony, confinement and freedom, and many other states, provoking thought, reminiscence and imagination. The paintings are punctuated by minute, intricate details. At the same time, the kaleidoscope of bright, vivid colors conjures up a sense of effervescence, resulting in majestic and ethereal compositions. This allows the viewer’s aesthetic experience to go beyond the senses, and sublimate to a higher level of thought and appreciation, bringing pleasure and relief to the soul.
The murmurs and whispers resonate in my heart. My mind flies.
Hau Siu-ching
Art critic
Special Correspondent of “Hong Kong Art”