ten years of hong kong painting
ten years of hong kong painting
ten years of hong kong painting
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
there seems to be as many directions as there are<br />
practitioners, yet they fulfill the vital function <strong>of</strong><br />
introducing to the younger generation <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong<br />
painters the styles and techniques <strong>of</strong> this western<br />
medium.<br />
A survey <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong <strong>painting</strong> would not be complete<br />
without recording the significant contribution made by<br />
expatriate painters who have chosen to make Hong Kong<br />
their second home. Over the <strong>years</strong>, these painters from<br />
Europe, America and Australia have mingled with local<br />
painters and have engaged in teaching and exhibition<br />
activities. Rosamond Brown, Dorothy Kirkbride, Martha<br />
Lesser and Brian Tilbrook are just some <strong>of</strong> these<br />
outstanding painters. It is interesting to note that through<br />
their ex<strong>ten</strong>ded stay in Hong Kong, quite a few have<br />
managed to infuse Oriental subject matter and philosophy<br />
in their art.<br />
Hong Kong <strong>painting</strong> has come a long way since the days<br />
when Hong Kong was described by many as a 'cultural<br />
desert' and when the term 'pr<strong>of</strong>essional painter' meant<br />
someone who sold <strong>painting</strong>s <strong>of</strong> sunsets in Tsim Sha<br />
Tsui's shopping arcades. As Hong Kong society itself has<br />
developed, Hong Kong painters have developed with it.<br />
During the past decade, they have refined their art,<br />
exhibited in an increasing number <strong>of</strong> local private<br />
galleries, and sold their <strong>painting</strong>s to a wider appreciative<br />
audience both in Hong Kong and abroad.<br />
However, all is not rosy on the horizon <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong<br />
<strong>painting</strong>. As a result <strong>of</strong> the affluence and rapid growth <strong>of</strong><br />
Hong Kong in the last twenty <strong>years</strong>, countless new<br />
problems now face Hong Kong painters. High rent,<br />
shortage <strong>of</strong> studio space, limited access to art books and<br />
magazines, and a generally unsympathetic environment<br />
towards the visual arts are just some <strong>of</strong> the pressing<br />
problems. Up to now, the Hong Kong Government have not<br />
formulated a visual arts policy to encourage and help local<br />
artists, especially the young generation who are just at the<br />
beginning <strong>of</strong> their creative career. This encouragement, so<br />
important for the continued growth <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong art, is<br />
<strong>of</strong><strong>ten</strong> left to chance. Furthermore, art education in schools<br />
is still inadequate in view <strong>of</strong> what is really needed for a<br />
creative, visually literate Hong Kong society.
Change language