Halley Cheng: Cerulean
Galerie Ora-Ora, Hong Kong
28 August – 7 September 2010
Galerie Ora-Ora presents the latest creations by Hong Kong artist HALLEY CHENG. This series of watercolour paintings take local schools and buildings of education as its subject. They convey the artist’s nostalgia towards his former school years and evoke admiration for the distinctly Hong Kong architectural style of the buildings. A Chinese proverb goes: a pupil who surpasses his or her teacher is the intense shade of blue pigment that is derived from a paler source of the same colour. This exhibition, “Cerulean”,—the name of the pale blue colour of the sky—reminds us not only of our school days but also of the role these old and familiar buildings had once played in our lives.
As a graduate of the Fine Art Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Halley Cheng is one of the youngest and most actively involved members of Hong Kong local art community. A conscientious artist, he has earned himself a degree of recognition that is unprecedented among local artists of his age. His exhibition history includes several international art fairs in Hong Kong and Basel, a group exhibition in London on the theme of contemporary Hong Kong art and he holds a successful auction record at Sotheby’s. This exhibition at Galerie Ora-Ora showcases artworks that were inspired by his personal feelings; and this sharing of viewpoints and emotions make this series of paintings the most delicate, emotive and relatable out of his body of work so far.
Halley Cheng’s special fondness for school buildings began with his admiration for their external appearance. He said, ‘Schools are like trees: they show greater strength and a greater depth of longevity as they age and mature. It is not something we can find in other architecture. What I like best about school buildings are the tidy rows of air conditioners and windows. They remind me of the students seated by order in the classrooms. There is no pretense in school buildings; they give people a genuine and sincere feeling, which is very rare among the architecture or people in our society today.’ The technique and colours of these artworks fully convey the artist’s views towards schools. He demonstrates that thick walls can be aptly represented with a thin wash of pale grey. The dark tones of windows and air conditioners are complimented by soft browns and charcoal, giving a sense of tranquility and discipline. There are occasionally a patch of light blue, emerald green and pink which illuminates the picture with a youthful vitality. His paintings fulfill what he sees as a characteristic quality of schools – ‘always old but always young’. They are reminders of joy and hope; it is also a very positive portrayal of the subject matter, which are all unusual qualities for Hong Kong contemporary art.
With over ten years of training in Chinese Ink painting and a Fine Arts degree, Cheng has both the skills and a broad understanding of art. Whereas in the past he focused more on techniques, artistic choices became more significant in his recent works. The paintings in this exhibition are fine examples of how selective representation is an important process of the artist’s creation. The artist is always the first viewer of a piece of artwork. As a young man who had recently completed his education, what does he feel in front of the buildings that offer education? This series of paintings depict only the exterior of the buildings. As they seem to invite viewers to speculate on them, they are also barring their entrance. There is an open window in the painting Shum Oi, but it looks into an empty hall. Rhenish has many windows and in just one of them, there seems to be a figure lurking behind and looking out. The front door in Ka Chi appears unfinished. Is that a purely aesthetic choice? Or could the patches of colour be describing a disappearing of the portal, a metaphor for the past of student life? These visually intriguing pictures prompt questions, interpretation and interaction from viewers, stirring the collective memories of the Hong Kong audience.
These paintings show that one may be reminded of one’s past school life by seeing another school, and this indicates that in part of our memories include a relationship with the building itself. Cheng explores his predilection for schools and re-establish that connection by making watercolour paintings of them. The artworks show an appreciation of educational buildings from a more aesthetic point of view as they highlight a characteristically Hong Kong style of architecture. They are creations that stem from the artist in his current specific age and life situation, which makes them interesting and precious artworks that resonate with personal and social history.
HALLEY CHENG - BIOGRAPHY
Born in 1986, Cheng graduated from the Fine Art Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2008. During his time there he received numerous awards within and without the university. He was the Winner of the Philippe Charriol Foundation Art Competition in 2006 and he was shortlisted in the Hong Kong Arts Centre 30th Anniversary Award Competition in 2008. In the past two years, Cheng exhibited in six international art fairs such as ART HK and Art Asia Basel, a group show of contemporary Hong Kong art in London and he holds a successful auction record at Sotheby’s.
Cheng has practised Chinese Ink painting for over ten years, training himself in technique as well as in his ability to focus and concentrate. Subsequently, he enrolled in a Fine Arts degree where he developed a broader, more conceptual and intellectual understanding of and perspective on art. One of his professors had described him as ‘someone who will do anything to get the effects he wants in a painting.’ He is a quiet and focused artist and these qualities are discerned from his artworks, setting them apart from the work of most young artists. He takes inspiration from his daily life. With his artistic sensibilities he finds the unusual from the ordinary, and so in addition to the visual or conceptual intrigues, his works often have a sense of familiarity and sincerity to which most people find easy to relate.
GALERIE ORA-ORA
G/F, No. 7 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong
