ELAINE CHIU 趙綺婷

藝術家趙綺婷透過繪畫街道中的招牌，反映香港 - 我城的獨有面貌。招牌在香港城市景貌擔當重要角色，除了指路、塑造地標等的實際功能，招牌的設計、書法字體和工藝造法，側面反映了香港人的文化、性格和民間生活與藝術。香港的街道離不開字，街道上可以說是字、街、畫相融，充滿各類圖像化的標記。對於趙綺婷來說，街道招牌文化她反思和探索個人文化和身分的構成，思考書法、霓虹等等對香港人視覺身分的深遠影響。

 

由於今年來社區重建加速，畫展中不少地點的招牌經已拆卸，所留無幾。畫家趙綺婷希望用她的畫筆，盡可能將眼前事物紀錄下來。無論時代巨輪變遷再快，有些景物都會停留在每一位香港人心中。

 

Depicting traditional billboards which can be easily found in the streets of Hong Kong has been the theme that artist Elaine Chiu is prompt to manifest in her paintings. Billboards in Hong Kong are taking a substantial role in the Hong Kong streetscape constitute. Not only limited to the functional uses of billboards like serving as landmarks or telling directions, their designs, fonts and traditional workmanship also give us a hint of the local culture. They suggest the personality and colours of local lifestyles, perhaps how art is assimilated into the local community. You can see exotic Chinese characters and signs all over the streets in Hong Kong in this and that corner. The billboard culture has urged artist Elaine Chiu to ponder over one’s identity, for example, the importance of calligraphy and neon lights to our local recognition as a Hong Konger.

 

Urban reconstruction has been propelled in recent years to give our city a new look. The other way round numerous traditional billboards are removed under the speedy pace of urban renewal. Artist Elaine Chiu would love to conserve the lovely billboard landscape under her brushes. The billboards which aged concurrent with the old Hong Kong shall be preserved in the hearts of the locals.

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