Doris CHUI, Hilarie HON, Stanley SHUM:
Anomalous Gloaming
In this summer, SC Gallery presents a joint exhibition “ Anomalous Gloaming” featuring three artists Doris Chui, Hilarie Hon, and Stanley Shum. The three artists depict the familiar landscapes of their homeland using vibrant colours with strong contrasts. Whether it’s the iconic Lion Rock tunnel or the common storefronts on the streets, these familiar scenes take on a sense of unfamiliarity, a distance of being both in and out of this place, under the strange twilight.
Doris Chui has always had a deep observation of light, and her control over colours has become increasingly mature in recent years. When she saw the buildings illuminated by neon signs in film photos, she used bright fluorescent orange and yellow colours to layer the refraction of light and shadows, creating a three-dimensional effect. Furthermore, her art studio is located near a village where fireworks are set off during holidays. Its rooftop is close to the position of the fireworks explosions. When she saw the fireworks burning in the darkness until they were extinguished, the more dazzling the light, the more she felt alienated. Reality, including past experiences and the pressures of life, made her feel that everything is not as brilliant as fireworks. In her artworks, Chui deliberately reduces gender characteristics in the depicted figures, portraying them with slightly distorted postures that appear particularly small under various unnatural lights. This emphasizes the artist’s sensitivity and vulnerable emotions.
Hilarie Hon often incorporates genderless figures, the sea, and the sun in her creations. Her works feature vivid and distinct colours, while she describes herself as “melancholic” with a touch of dark humour. In this exhibition, she presents a large painting titled “Sunlight Murmur ” which refers to the observation of light waves reflecting on the sea surface for a period of time, resulting in visual noise, like the whispers of sunlight. Han gazes at the sun rising and setting, dyeing the waves on the sea surface with different colours. This brings a sense of tranquillity to her mind, allowing her to focus on organizing her thoughts and projecting her first-hand experiences onto the canvas. She also utilizes the uncontrollable nature of fluid pigments, creating surreal clouds and waves. As her state of mind changes, the colour palette incorporates a hint of warm sunlight, echoing her inner transformation from tumultuous ups and downs to a gradually calming state.
Stanley Shum has been working in the social service sector for a charitable organization for over a decade, constantly engaged with different social strata alongside social workers at the frontline. His daily work, combined with the significant changes happening locally, has made him closely observe his place of upbringing and the various thoughts of the people here, which he transforms into themes for his artwork. With the end of the pandemic and the birth of his daughter, Shum unexpectedly felt the urge to create works related to “hope” and “imagining the future.” He uses vibrant red, yellow, and green colours, juxtaposed with deep black, to highlight the rays of anticipation throughout his paintings. This life-changing moment is reflected in his recent artwork, his lines become softened. He enjoys working with oil paintings because their slow-drying properties seem to freeze time, providing him with more space for dialogue with the canvas. Every stroke and line are shaped by the passage of time, allowing him to balance both his family and artistic pursuits, integrating more traces and insights from life into his works.
Each of the three artists injects their profound emotions into the pigments from both personal and third-person perspectives, expressing their vulnerabilities, hopes, and tranquillity. Through this joint exhibition, viewers can catch a glimpse of the artists’ creative journeys and experience their diligent exploration in search of self.