Self-Portrait of Hong Kong
Exhibition, watercolor on paper, Le Meriden Cyberport, Hotel Jen Hong Kong, 2017, Hong Kong
[The Standard | Katie Hung] Local artist Elaine Chiu is not only recreating the hustle and bustle of the streets of Hong Kong in her watercolors, but also capturing the ambience of the city.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, the cityscape painter is mesmerized by local streets. Her subjects always revolve around neighborhood streets, especially those in old districts, where buildings have sentimental value.
"Modern buildings are straight as an arrow, which give an icy-cold impression with glass curtain walls," she said.
"Seldom can you see a picture of cityscapes here with curves, dynamic and organic shapes, like those with people at fruit stalls and in wet markets."
Chiu has taken on the responsibility of capturing scenes which are quickly becoming a thing of the past. It can be cultural or something as simple as light. Constantly carrying a digital camera with her, Chiu takes pictures whenever she encounters interesting city scenes.
Her solo exhibition The True Hong Kong: Insights from a Local Perspective, at Le Meridien, Cyberport's Umami restaurant, runs until August 31, and features 11 watercolor paintings of city scenes with intriguing light-and-shadow effects.
