Introduction to Hong Kong Art
What is Hong Kong Art? To this day, there is no real ‘definition’.
30 years ago, artists were creating art as a means of expression – their everyday lives, social experiences, and personal encounters. Artists would be portraying quite mundane occurrences and insignificant objects, not deemed worthy of too much attention but created more for the purpose of catharsis. As true now as it was back then, Hong Kong Art contains personal journeys, and reflects the living environment and urban landscapes of this unique city. Perhaps this is what sets Hong Kong Art apart.
From the very beginning, a lot of the art was created from very grassroots means – using different kinds of mediums without much foresight for ‘preservation’. Much of the art produced wasn’t meant to be collected or even displayed. However, in the last 5 years, since Hong Kong Art has garnered more attention on the international stage, mediums have evolved to encompass oils and acrylics on canvas, and gradually the size of the compositions have also expanded.
Join us as we speak to William Lim, who shares his unique insights into the growth and evolution of Hong Kong Art through his personal collecting journey.
Part 1
Part 2
About William Lim
As Founder and Managing Director of CL3 Architects Ltd. (CL3), Dr. William Lim brings over 30 years of experience to his projects. An acclaimed architect and artist, William graduated from Cornell University and has spent the past two decades at the forefront of architecture, culture and art.
With a keen appreciation of humanities and art, William’s designs are distinctive and contemporary. ‘Architects have a social obligation to improve urban environments,’ explains William. ‘Architecture is about people. I always feel that architects are only doing part of the job – the rest is really shaped by the occupant using the space. We treat every project as a unique challenge and pay attention to every single detail – from architecture to interior to furniture – to create human-oriented and quality designs with artistic value.’
Since founding CL3 in 1992, William has established a notable presence on the global design scene. The studio’s diverse, award-winning portfolio includes architectural and interior projects for hotels, restaurants, retail, corporate, residences and art installations. Marina Bay Sands Singapore, Raffles City Chongqing, Gaysorn II Bangkok, H Queen’s Hong Kong are some of these award-winning projects.
William is also an accomplished artist focusing on large-scale installations. Throughout his art career, he has been shown internationally, most notably Lantern Wonderland HK 2003 & 2011; Venice Biennale’s International Architectural Exhibition in 2006 & 2010; Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in 2007, 2009 and 2017; and Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future, Seoul, Korea, 2019. His signature piece, West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre, was awarded the Grand Award and Special Award for Culture in the Design for Asia Award in 2013.
Committed to promoting culture and education, William is currently on the Board of Trustees for Cornell University, member of Arts and Culture Council and Gallery Advisory Committee for Asia Society Hong Kong Center, and member of Museum Expert Advisers for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2018.
William Lim’s Recommendations
Artists:
CHAN Kwan Lok
CHAN Wai Lap
CHENG Ting Ting
Szelit CHEUNG
CHU Hing-Wah
Chris HUEN
KWONG Wing Kwan
LAM Tung Pang
LEE Kit
MAK Ying Tung
Ant NGAI Wing Lam
Wilson SHIEH
TANG Kwok-Hin
TSANG Kin-Wah
WONG Ping
Stephen WONG Chun Hei
WONG Sze Wai
Samson YOUNG
Art spaces:
Gallery EXIT
Grotto Fine Art
Hanart TZ Gallery
Hong Kong Museum of Art
Hong Kong Arts Centre
M+
Para Site
Tai Kwun
Book:
‘The No Colors’
by William Lim, Living Collection, Hong Kong
Edited by Living Ltd.
Texts by Birgit Donker, Hu Fang, Fionnuala McHugh, Christoph Noe
Published by Hatje Cantz, 2014
ISBN 978-3-7757-3788-3
May 2021