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‘Transitions are inherent to life and mark every stage in life’s journey from birth through to ageing and death. They concern not only the personal but the societal, with milestones across education, employment, relationships and family dynamics that define our lives.
While we are undergoing these personal transitions, Hong Kong is simultaneously experiencing its own, influenced by migration patterns and shifting demographics. The influx of people from the Mainland is in contrast with the departure of longtime Hong Kong residents and is altering the city’s cultural landscape and identity.’
So read the Introduction board at our recent exhibition.
The text continued, ‘Amid accelerating pace, pressure and (self)-censorship borne of Woke-ism, art serves as a crucial medium of expression, creating space for us to navigate and reflect on our transitions and the broader changes around us.
The ‘Transitions’ exhibition aimed to draw attention to transitions through artistic expression, encouraging visitors to reflect on their own experiences and the collective journey of a community in motion.
Artists
Ten talented artists took part in ‘Transitions’ exhibiting across three sub-themes: ‘Transitions of Physicality’, ‘Transitions in Society’ and ‘Transitions of Hong Kong’. Their work was multifarious and included the textured painting of Elsa Jeandedieu, the acrylic paintings of Lindsey McAlister, OBE, JP, the photographs of Peter Sung, Andrew Tse and Bharat Khemlani; the prints and paintings of Louise Soloway Chan and Carol Man, the digital artworks and paintings of Vivian Ho and the paintings and hand-pulled prints of Francesco Lietti. All residents of Hong Kong, the artists came from countries including Hong Kong, Sweden, the UK, India, Italy and France.
We had a hectic run up to our Opening party on Wednesday 20 November, not helped by downpours throughout the day. But huge onsite help was provided by Interior designer, Melanie Molenaar and Being Neighbourly’s favourite handyman, Darren Catterall who installed the artwork. Invaluable input was also provided by volunteers including Bert Bulthuis who hung the entirety of the Being Neighbourly exhibition-within-an-exhibition, making it look fabulous. June Chuck, Janey Rogers, Shine de Castro, Sabiha Marium and Renata Pawlak would also offer excellent help during the days to come.
The three sub-themes scaffolded the overarching theme of ‘Transitions’. For those who missed the exhibition, the content of the theme boards follows.
Exhibiting artists in Theme 1 included Elsa Jeandedieu, Andreas von Buddenbrock aka ‘The Ink Trail’ and Lindsey McAlister, OBE, JP.
Theme 1: Transitions of Physicality
A baby is born, and so life’s journey of human development begins.
Infancy and childhood is a stage marked by rapid learning and growth. Children absorb their environment and develop essential skills: physically and intellectually. But then, once we have learned how to walk and eat by ourselves, how to talk, run and read, things change.
Hormones flood our system and puberty and adolescence strike. The transition into puberty brings physical and emotional changes. It’s a time of exploration and self-discovery, where you ‘fake it’ before making it.
Meanwhile, adulthood often involves significant life events, such as pregnancy and childbirth, in which the body proves its sophistication and mettle.
Through the seasons of life, the spring, summer, autumn and winter, we grow and change in remarkable ways. In ageing, things that may have been basic before may become difficult again. The human experience is about growth, change and the cycle of life.
The second sub-theme, ‘Transitions in Society’ was depicted by Peter Sung, Louise Soloway Chan and Carol Man in photographs, digital art and prints and painting. Sung would go on to win the inaugural ‘Being Neighbourly Creativity Award’ for his photographic triptych highlighting the gap between rich and poor in Hong Kong. You can read more about Sung in our separate article on him.
Theme 2: Transitions in Society
As members of society, we belong to multiple communities: communities based around family, race, age, education, work, interests and hobbies. These communities and their established norms influence our self-perception and impact our life choices, big and small, including: where we live and socialize, who our friends are, where we go and what we do on holiday, whether we embrace religion, and so forth.
Major life events are often defined by societal expectations, which can create a sense of belonging or highlight our differences, shaping how we see ourselves and others.
While cultural attitudes certainly vary, many places around the world share a remarkably similar perspective on what constitutes a ‘good life’.
Our third and final sub-theme, ‘Transitions of Hong Kong’ was a colourful affair featuring the works of Andrew Tse and Bharat Khemlani‘s black and white photographs on the one hand and Francesco Lietti‘s vibrantly coloured hand-pulled prints and paintings; and Vivian Ho‘s acrylic paintings and digital artworks on the other.
Theme 3: Transitions of Hong Kong
The future of Hong Kong is a complex tapestry woven from threads of: migration, identity and economic dynamics.
As the city navigates these transitions, several things will shape Hong Kong’s trajectory in the years to come.
The trend of Hong Kong residents moving abroad is likely to continue, given the high cost of living, political climate and quality of life.
The influx of Mainlanders may enhance the economy, but may also challenge the city’s identity.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s economy may pivot towards technology and finance with an emphasis on innovation, which may attract new talent and investment.
While the future of Hong Kong is uncertain, it is also a canvas for potential transformation. The ability to adapt, embrace diversity and cultivate a sense of belonging will be instrumental to whether Hong Kongers are happy or not.
Time will march on regardless.
The artist’s artworks were bolstered by several artist-led activities during the five day exhibition period. These included one-to-one conversations moderated by the Young Soy Gallery, Fionnuala McHugh, Being Neighbourly founder, Nicole Chabot and Tatler Features editor, Zabrina Lo, whose enthusiasm for the artists and their talents lent an air of excitement to the proceedings and resulted in conversations in which the artists sahred freely about their experiences.
One-to-One Conversations, Panel, Artist-led Tours
Many of our ten participating artists chose to go the extra mile for Being Neighbourly, by participating in additional activities. Renowned artist Louise Soloway Chan was ‘Transitions’ keynote speaker on Thursday 21 November, the first day that the exhibition was open to the public. Her one-to-one conversation with Shivang Jhunjhunwalla, co-founder of the Young Soy Gallery was lively and informal and made for interesting listening!
Next up was our Panel discussion involving British artists Soloway Chan, Lindsey McAlister, OBE, JP, and Swedish illustrator Andreas von Buddenbrock, aka ‘The Ink Trail’. The panel was about moderated by veteran journalist Fionnuala McHugh and reflected the impact of coming to Hong Kong on the lives of each of the trio.
The same day, Francesco Lietti gave an artist-led tour of his work, after which Hong Kong artist Carol Man talked to Being Neighbourly founder, Nicole Chabot about the theme of cultural explorations in her work as a Chinese Jew, explaining the origin and her work and its symbolism.
On the Saturday, the artist-led tours continued with Bharat Khemlani‘s tour of his black and white ‘All but Forgotten’ series of photographs. The following day, Soloway Chan gave a tour of her work and our last event on Monday 25 November was the one-to-one conversation between Peter Sung and Tatler Features Editor, Zabrina Lo, which was conducted in Cantonese.
Workshops
Being Neighbourly arranged several workshops during the exhibition period. These centered around the Arts and included workshops for adults and children. The pen drawing workshops for both age groups by Andreas von Buddenbrock, aka ‘The Ink Trail’, were extremely popular with people keen to learn techniques from the Swedish artist and author of the The Ink Trail (Blacksmith Books, 2024). Vicky Wilson-Jiwatram delivered lively sessions: Nature Collaging and Painting for children; and we had enthusiastic participants of our Paper Bag Challenge workshop and Unconventional Materials by Hana Art.
Visitors to our website can find out more about our monthly Paper Bag Challenge, sponsored by a local business each month . Get cracking with a bag and the craft materials you have at hand, and you too could win amazing prizes!
Winner of the ‘Being Neighbourly Creativity Award 2024’ – Peter Sung
‘Stories Told by Broken Things – Abandoned’ (2023). Signed digital photograph/ 594 x 841cm.
‘Stories Told by Broken Things – Neighbours and Neighbours’ (2023). Signed digital photograph/ 594 x 841cm.
‘Stories Told by Broken Things – Night City’ (2023). Signed digital photograph/ 594 x 841cm.
Are you an Artist in Hong Kong?
If you are an artist who lives in Hong Kong, you don’t need to wait for a Call for Entry notification to get in touch: we would love to hear from you! Make the first move by saying [email protected], including details about you and what inspires your artwork. Don’t forget to include samples of your work with your outreach mail.
In addition, in response to the near universal wish of all artists for more visibility and exposure, we have initiated a LOCAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT segment to kick off in January 2025. This is a great way for Being Neighbourly’s growing audience to get to know you and your work; and, added extra, SPOTLIGHT Artists will have priority when we’re formulating the lineup for our next exhibition, because we’ll already know you and your work.
Stay tuned for updates about Being Neighbourly’s next visual arts exhibition and our upcoming book collaboration with Peter Sung, In The Neighbourhood, featuring stunning photography of Central & Western district.
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For over 20 years, the people behind BN have been creating content on the best things in life: food, travel and inspirational people.
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