Exploring the relationship between people and the city is the central theme of Joshua Leung and Kwong Kwok Wai’s work. Both are contemporary artists born and raised in Hong Kong, a unique place in terms of geography, culture and academic background, Leung and Kwong’s work conveys a dense expression of urban conditions and their own feelings about living in the city.
Joshua believes that art is a powerful tool for communicating values and perspectives – a glue that binds communities together. His works are not only narratives rooted in reality but also, retain a sense of self-conscious spirituality that is intertwined with the abstraction of the subject matter.
For Kwok Wai finding ‘Elysium’ is a universal desire, he expressed it in a contemporary approach using abstractions to push the boundaries of interpretation. Using old local maps as a reference in his painting process, he transformed them into organic marks and shapes of a new imaginary land. For him, it’s a process of rebirth and reconciliation with the unknown self.
Both artists record their feelings about Hong Kong, hoping to build a bridge through their works, thus communicating with the viewer and creating resonance.
