Koon Wai Bong: Reworking the Classics

管偉邦：經典再造 Koon Wai Bong: Reworking the Classics

4 Oct - 13 Dec 2009

About Exhibition:

In today’s world of digital images and icons, reality tv and Wii-games, our busy Hong Kong lives seem very far removed from the world of sages and scholars. Our appreciation for material, color and skills has deteriorated and our current idea of thought and contemplation is doing an hour of yoga squeezed in with 60 people in a room somewhere between leaving the office and shopping just before we go home. The same attitudes are reflected in the art world so therefore its not surprising Koon Wai Bong finds himself quite lonely concentrating on a life-long process of mastering the skills of brushsrokes and ink. While most of his classmates were veering off into Western ideas and media, Koon was inspired by old tradition and made his ambition not just to master these techniques but to find a way to express contemporary living.

As per Prof. Harold Mak, Chairman of the Department of Fine Arts at the CUHK:

“In a world that is increasingly globalized, many artists are preoccupied with shaping their art to the liking of the international community, at the expense of their own national and cultural identity, whether or not aware of it. Koon’s anchoring of his art to the tradition while exploring for modernity will, I am sure, lead to a rewarding synthesis of tradition brush and ink with modern art.”

Koon’s works can be mainly categorized into ink landscape and fine-brush insects but are never directly painted from nature. Instead he emphasizes the impression and sensation of the mind and emotions: “its is only through a process of assimilation and digestion by the mind that what is ultimately produced is one’s own and essential nature.”

BIOGRAPHY

Koon Wai Bong received his B.A. and M.F.A. from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has been teaching in the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University. His works were obtained “Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Award” in 2009, the “Merit award” from the 10th National Exhibition of Arts, China in 2004 and “the Rising Artist Award” from Hong Kong Art Development Council in 2003, selected to the 11th National Exhibition of Arts in 2009, Beyond the Surface: Chinese Abstract Art in 2008, the 2nd Beijing International Art Biennial in 2005, and Hong Kong Art Biennial in 1996, 1998 and 2005, and shortlisted in “Hong Kong Arts Centre 30th Anniversary Award” in 2008. He held solo shows including Past Becomes Present: A Solo Exhibition of Chinese Painting by Koon Wai Bong and Koon Wai Bong: Reworking the Classics both in 2009, and group shows including Water & Ink Interpretations: Taipei Invitation Exhibition of Hong Kong Modern Ink Painting, Ink Contemporary: ReXPERIMENT and Dao Revealed through Brush & Ink: Chinese Paintings and Works of Calligraphy & Seal Engraving by Wan Qingli, Daniel Lau Chak Kwong and Koon Wai Bong in 2009. His name was included in the Yearbook of Chinese Cultural Heritage in 2007. Furthermore, his works was housed by museums and private collections in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

管偉邦於香港中文大學取得學士及藝術碩士學位，現任教於香港浸會大學視覺藝術院。其作品於2009年獲「香港當代藝術雙年獎」、於2004年獲「第十屆全國美術作品展覽獲優秀獎」及於2003年獲香港藝術發展局頒「藝術新進獎」；於2009年入選《第十一屆全國美術作品展覽》、 於2008年入選《超以象外 — 中國抽象繪畫》、於2005年入選《第二屆北京國際美術雙年展》、 及於1996、1998及2005年入選《香港藝術雙年展》；並於2008年入圍香港藝術中心三十周年藝術獎。管氏曾舉辦多個個展，包括2009年《過去轉成現在：管偉邦國畫個展》及《管偉邦：經典再造》，及多個聯展，包括2009年《水墨演義：香港現代水墨畫台北邀請展》、《水墨當代︰回歸實驗》及《筆墨載道 — 萬青屴、劉澤光、管偉邦國畫、書法及篆刻展》，其名字於2007年收錄於《中國文化遺產年鑒》，作品亦為香港及中國大陸藝術館和私人收藏。