TK Chan • 陳紫君
Website E-mail Tel Address
/ www.blinkgalleryhk.com / blinkgalleryhk@gmail.com / +852 6091 9191 / BLINK Gallery, Room B1, 10/F 6 Wing Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
Published by BLINK Gallery HK October 2015 All rights reserved
T.K. Chan graduated in MA Interdisciplinary Design from Napier University, Edinburgh in 2007. She is co-founder and curator of BLINK Gallery and is associate programme leader of BA(Hons) Graphic Design, University of Sunderland. The works exhibited here are also collected in her illustration book, The Reality of My Scotland. She has exhibited in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh. The inspiration for this series of works “The Reality of My Scotland” began after Chan lived and worked in Scotland for 5 years. Upon Chan's return to Hong Kong, she began exploring interdisciplinary design and its potential for recording and exploring her experiences as a Hong Kong Chinese native living in Scotland, and her desire to promote Scottish culture in her home city. Illustrations influenced by Chiang Yee's Silent Traveller in Edinburgh, who wrote of his impressions of Edinburgh life over sixty years ago, forms a major group of works in this exhibition. Drawing upon everyday observations, insights, historicism and cultural stereotypes, Chan reflects on her memories and experiences, making distinctions between the ideal and reality of a sense of place. Her quirky drawings of everyday urban life and paintings of idyllic summertime landscapes reflect acute – and at times, painfully humorous – differences between Scottish and Hong Kong cultures. In the series of illustrations, Chan explores the fabric of everyday urban life, producing a ceaseless stream of ideas, observations, jokes and strange insights in the form of deadpan, escapist cartoons. These sketches are playful and wonderfully economical, evoking a cack-handed eloquence that is abysmal and painfully funny in equal measure. Her playful characters who patronize her illustrations, dressed in traditional tartan kilt, irreverently record and mock the distinctions between the imaginary ideal and brutal reality of a sense of place. These cartoon, pixie-like self-portraits characterise her own polarised sense of identity and expectation, symbolising the personal, and wider cultural, everyday ideals and realities, as well as the significant cultural and historical differences between the two cultures. The accompanying Chinglish text, a contraction of Chinese and English languages, is written in a child-like, sugar-induced excited scrawl. Typo and grammar errors are unedited, and misspellings are simply crossed-out and wonkily rewritten; textual and visual elements both adding to the knowing humour. In contrast, her paintings offer an alternative insight to cross-cultural readings of Scottish heritage by drawing upon metaphors and iconography that bridge the two cultures. Historically, castles evoke a feeling of territory and identity; more contemporary readings are associated with romance and tourism. The gauche, sickly-sweet paintings, executed in mixed media, reinforces the high sentimentality of the subject matter. Stalker Castle in Oban, for example, depicts an impressive, remote castle fort located by a loch, rugged monros (mountains) rise up menacingly in the background. The lake is placid and blue as the sky. Once a mighty outpost of a proud clan; today, it is a privatised space and is open only for a few weeks of the tourist season, or for wedding photo shoots. In Musical Castle, this reading is further underscored by Chan's reading of the castle as buried in folklore and fantasy. She depicts herself and other characters frolicking in the scene as if a wedding celebration was underway. Although many of the works point to the cultural outsider-expatriate experience, the common misconception of outsider art doesn't apply here in this context or is incorrect. Chan's work doesn't operate exactly as outsider art which tends to involve some kind of pity, or condescension, on the part of the viewer. The thing about Chan's work is that she produces insider art: manifestations and expressions of a Scottish localism, and by extension to a Hong Kong localism, to which she grants us access, and which we can, at some inarticulate but immediate level, identify with and understand. Conversely, the physicality and immediacy of Chan's graphically sophisticated work bears the imprint of her cultural background, way of looking and its guiding inspiration. The sketch series and paintings have a complex naivete quality that wittily balances the familiar and the strange, natural and fantasy, common and the esoteric, and the simple and the complex. Mixing sincerity, irony and outright comedy, this body of work fascinates and enchants.
Dr Paul Ho June 2014
Ms. T.K. Chan (Tsz Kwan) facebook: tkchan.swp@gmail.com +44 7518227885 | +852 5112 9521
T.K. Chan graduated in MA Interdisciplinary Design from Edinburgh Napier University in 2007. She is co-founder and curator of BLINK Gallery. She has exhibited in Hong Kong, London, Cardiff and Edinburgh. Her works have been collected by International Company, Law Firm and Some Private Collectors.
• Solo Exhibitions 2015 2014 2014 2014 2008
“AURORA Revelation” Solo Exhibition – BLINK Gallery HK “The Reality of My Scotland” Solo Exhibition – Grosvenor Maybury Casino, Edinburgh, UK “The Reality of My Scotland” at Hong Kong People’s Fringe Festival – Cuisine Rouge, HK “The Reality of My Scotland Music Castle” – BLINK Gallery HK “To See Ourselves as Other See Us”, Sponsored by China Now – Edinburgh Napier University, UK
• Joint Exhibitions 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2010
The Chinese Art Exhibition “The Bridge” - Scotland China Culture Exchange Ltd, Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh, UK “On My Mind” – University of South Wales, Cardiff, UK Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014 – theSpace at Symposium Hall, Edinburgh, UK Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014 – Planet Café, Edinburgh, UK The Blue Bean Coffee House – Portobello, Edinburgh, UK Terroir Of France – The Cityview Hong Kong League of Unique Wine – Harvey Nichols at Landmark, HK BLINK Character Design Exhibition (March 2014) - The Laguna Mall, HK The Reality of My Leith – Leith Festival, Edinburgh, UK
• Collectors Grosvenor Maybury Casino, Edinburgh Müller Dairy (UK) Ltd Sidley Austin Private Collectors
• Media Coverage 2015 hkej Newspaper信報藝術長廊 hiart.cn Hi藝術 中國美術家網 chinainsight - Well-established and hot, upcoming contemporary artists at Hong Kong's most interesting art event p.8 precioushk 品尊 Asia Contemporary Art Show - Artlife RTHK 3 interview by Reenita Malhotra Hora - State of the Art Hong Kong Commercial Daily - 亞洲當代藝術展,展現藝壇新星 2014
Apple Daily Nextmedia - 油畫帶你認識蘇格蘭 hk.on.cc 東方報業集團網站 - 從油畫細味蘇格蘭 hkej Newspaper 信報 - 文藝活動預告 RTHK 5 radio interview by Kit Leung CHUNG - 新文化運動 TaKungPao Newspaper -「On My Mind」係列畫作赴英展出 TaKungPao Newspaper - 陳紫君繪蘇格蘭古堡 From Spark to Flame online radio - TK 的蘇格蘭 - 英國幽默插畫首次在港亮相 The LIST website, UK Hong Kong People's Fringe Festival official website Taste the brand free newspaper - Bring Me to Scotland! am730 Jan and June Taste the brand - Bring me to Scotland!! Taste the brand - 本土藝術走出香港,赴英展出 2010
Edinburgh Evening News - Leithers get themselves in the picture
SCOTTISH LANDSCAPE
LOVE IN A TIMELY FASHION Oil on Canvas 53cm x 43cm 2013 The castle represents a storybook fairy tale romancewhere the princess in the castle is waiting for the prince to come. With the true love kiss they will be able to live a happy life forever. Lots of couples also make a special trip to the castle for wedding photography nowadays. The Castle Stalker in Oban has now been privatized and it is only open a few weeks in a year for visitors. If you missed the opening period, now visitors can still view this castle surrounded by beautiful views from a distance. The timing for visiting the castle is very important, not too early or not too late!
MUSICAL CASTLE Mixed Media 40cm x 30cm canvas reprint 2014
For TK, the castle can represent a storybook romance where a princess is waiting to meet her prince. Nowadays it is popular to have a wedding photograph taken with a castle in Scotland. Characters are performing in front of the castle, which makes the perfect wedding party.
TO PLAY THE PIANO TO A COW Oil on Canvas 54cm x 44cm 2014 Although it is not an easy task to promote Scottish culture in Hong Kong, TK is trying to highlight beautiful Scottish scenery in her paintings. The yellow flowers are growing in the painting in the sunrise. The highland cow is the audience. Even though there were difficulties encountered in the beginning, but with determination, it will succeed. The Chinese idiom “to play the piano to a cow�means to offer a treat to an unappreciative audience.
WINTER TO SPRING Oil on Canvas 53cm x 43cm 2014 A Rabbit is so tiny and does not look strong at all, but it still survives through the winter. Meaning no matter how difficult things are, as long as you persist there will always be new hope. The Scottish hare in the painting, also symbolizes free-spirited, adaptable, rich, powerful with vitality!
CARPE DIEM (seize the day) Oil on Canvas 60cm x 90cm 2014 Collected by M端ller Dairy (UK) Ltd The Eilean Donan Castle, one of Scotland's most iconic landmarks, built in the mid 13th century, is situated on an island between three sea lochs. This castle in the Scottish Highlands is now one of the most popular tourist attractions. It offers visitors with limited mobility the opportunity to visit with a Virtual Tour. Carpe diem, Don't wait anymore and do it when you can now.
FRIENDSHIP Oil on canvas 50cm x 40cm 2014 Collected by Müller Dairy (UK) Ltd Mountains are said to be ‘Backing’ in Chinese. It is not necessary to have lots of friends but with a few bosom friends, we can die without anything to regret. Girls enjoy sharing their stories to help each other make decisions. Without telling your secret to someone you can trust, it will spread like Scottish heather. The most noticeable features of Bidean nam Bian are the famous Three Sisters of Glen Coe, three steeply-sided ridges that extend north into the Glen. It feels like three bosom friends relying on each others.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR! Oil on canvas 50cm x 40cm 2014 The world is becoming peaceful! Everywhere becomes romantic when love is here.
EDINBURGH CASTLE Oil on Canvas 70cm x 50cm 2015 It is great in different perspectives! This is the other side of the Edinburgh Castle from West End. This artwork is the extension of the 2014 Edinburgh Castle where TK painted it from Princess Street Garden in Edinburgh.
OH! DEER Oil on Canvas 70cm x 50cm 2015 Although we grow up in different backgrounds, we can still live together happily.
DREAM OF SCOTTISH BUTTERCUP FLOWER Oil on Canvas 31cm x 41cm July 2015
DREAM OF SCOTTISH HEATHER Oil on Canvas 31cm x 41cm Aug 2015
DREAM OF SCOTTISH POPPY FLOWER Oil on Canvas 31cm x 41cm Sept 2015
AURORA DREAM Mixed Media on Canvas 70cm x 50cm 2015
2014 Summer June - Sept Drawing at the location with the local elements
In the Sky (HKG – EDI) Poster colour on canvas 15cm x 20cm original 2014 summer Natural Mineral Water from the Alps with Poster color on canvas finished at 38014 ft altitude in the sky. An afternoon flight flying with KLM, painting with its corporate color.
In the Sky (EDI – CWL) Poster colour on canvas 15cm x 20cm original 2014 Summer This artwork was painted while on a very short flight from Edinburgh to Cardiff. TK was going for her exhibition On My Mind at The University of South Wales. TK managed to see the fields this time, not just cloud. The altitude in the sky is unknown. There was no screen to display any information on the flight.
ANSTRUTHER LIGHT HOUSE Acrylic and Oil on board 20cm x 20cm 2014 Summer Ms. TK Chan’s first on site drawing with her lecturer at Edinburgh College Mr. Alan MacCorquodale at Anstruther. She enjoyed the local fish and chips and experienced the sunset at the harbor. The light of the sky and clouds were changing rapidly. Real sand from the beach has been added on the drawing. This painting has travelled with TK to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and attended various exhibitions in Hong Kong. The missing sand is going to be lost during the transportation and depreciate over time.
ABERDEEN BEACH Oil Painting on board 20cm x 20cm 2014 Summer Collected by Scottish Private Collector It had been a very sunny day and then it became a foggy beach. The sea and sky were merged together without a separated line. It was a memorable experience for TK because as she painted, Sophia - a 6 year old girl from Poland – and her mother asked if they watch. TK shared her spare canvas, paints and brushes with Sophia and explained the tips of using oil paints. Sophia created her first oil paintings under TK’s instructions.
EDINBURGH CASTLE Acrylic and Oil on board 20cm x 20cm 2014 Summer Painted with Chinese based artist Ms. Xiaoqing Cao in the cafĂŠ of the Princess Street Garden. Then painted again while having tea with Ms. Doris Ma. It takes about 5 hours to finish this painting on location.
FORTH BRIDGE Arcylic colour with water by the sea on board 20cm x 20cm 2014 summer The Forth Bridge was opened on 4 March 1890. It connects Edinburgh with Fife. The bridge was begun in 1883 and took 7 years to complete with the loss of 63 men. Until 1917, when the Quebec Bridge was completed, the Forth Bridge had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, and it still has the world's second-longest single span. The bridge seems to require constant maintenance, painting the Forth Bridge is a colloquial expression for a never-ending task, coined on the erroneous belief that at one time in the history of the bridge repainting was required and commenced immediately upon completion of the previous repaint.
MOOR OF RANNOCH, NEAR THE BLACK MOUNT Oil Painting on local canvas 18cm x 13cm original 2014 summer The small canvas was sourced from local highland shop. It has been really nice to be stop and spend time seeing a place in more detail, since most of the highland tours she joined previously only allowed brief stops for taking photos, meaning visitors only have the chance to review the Highland on screen. Although TK enjoyed drawing on site with Mr. Alan MacCorquodale, she discovered more than 20 midges bites on her. She claimed that was her most serious blood losing experience in Scotland.
2015 AURORA Revelation
The inspiration for this series of works “AURORA� began 2015 this year. TK uses the colour and cloudscape that she observed from Scottish skylines and applied onto this series of work. Sky is a connection with the universe, an umbrella to all that is life. Circle canvas have been used in this series as circles have no beginning or end, an archetypical form representing the sun, the earth, the universe, which relates to the formation of Aurora. This series is also a beauty reminder for us to care our planet as global warming is affecting aurora attivities.
SUNRISE Oil on Canvas 30 cm x 30 cm 2015
BLUE NIGHT Oil on Canvas 30 cm x 30 cm 2015
AURORA Oil on Canvas 30 cm x 30 cm 2015
ORANGE SUNRISE Oil on Canvas 30 cm x 30 cm 2015
STARS Oil on Canvas 30 cm x 30 cm 2015
FIELD Oil on Canvas 30 cm x 30 cm 2015
PURPLE SUN Oil on Canvas 30 cm x 30 cm 2015
RAINBOW Oil on Canvas 50 cm x 40 cm 2015
AURORA NEAT Oil on Board 40 cm 2015
AURORA LIGHT Oil on Board 40 cm 2015 Collected by Sidley Austin
AURORA FRESH Oil on Board 40 cm 2015
AURORA SUNRISE Oil on Board 40 cm 2015
AURORA HALF Oil on Board 40cm 2015
AURORA STRIKING Oil on Board 40cm 2015 Collected by Sidley Austin
AURORA AUQA Oil on Board 40cm 2015
AURORA PINKY Oil on Board 40cm 2015
AURORA HARMONY Oil on Board 40cm 2015 Collected by Sidley Austin
AURORA FLYING Oil on Board 40cm 2015 Collected by Sidley Austin
AURORA FIRE Oil on Board 40 cm 2015
AURORA METEOR Oil on Board 40 cm 2015
AURORA STARS Oil on Canvas 40cm 2015
AURORA RAINBOW Oil on Canvas 40cm 2015
AURORA MOUNTAIN Oil on Canvas 60cm 2015
AURORA ROSE Oil on Board 20cm 2015
AURORA MAGIC Oil on Board 20cm 2015
AURORA COSMO Mixed Media on Board 20cm 2015
AURORA MOONLIGHT Oil on Board 20cm 2015
AURORA TREE Oil on Board 20cm 2015
AURORA DYNAMIC WORLDS Oil on Canvas 80cm 2015
AURORA DRAGONS Oil on Canvas 80cm 2015
AURORA PHOENIX Oil on Canvas 80cm 2015
AURORA MYSTERY Mixed Media on Canvas 80cm 2015
AURORA CURTAINS Oil on Canvas 80cm 2015
Website:
www.tk-chan.com
E-mail:
blinkgalleryhk@gmail.com
Tel:
+852 5112 9521
BLINK Gallery, B1, 10 Floor, 6 Wing Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Works by Ms. TK Chan Design & Published by BLINK Gallery HK Oct 2015 First Edition All rights reserved. Reproduction is not allowed.