NYCLondonHK – a Three-City Trilogy - Photographs by Hark Y Artworks by Fong So

About

During the Hong Kong Occupy Movement in 2014, protesters used umbrellas to protect themselves from harmful pepper spray and tear-gas fumes. The two-month occupation of central Hong Kong to protest against government’s political “reform” plan has since been dubbed the Umbrella Movement. Civil liberties discussed during the Umbrella Movement prompted these exhibitions by Hong Kong journalists-turned artists Hark Y and Fong So.

Most of Fong So’s artworks can be viewed as a visual summary of some of the biggest protests in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2014.  To a certain extent, they also reflect Hong Kong’s complicated history, its Chinese connections, its international environment, and also the sentiments and aspirations of its people – the Hongkongers.

The exhibits of Hark Y consist of images of events that happened in London, NYC and Hong Kong but managed to grab headlines around the world.  They mark similarities and differences while raising thought-provoking issues about the artistic expressions of these three amazing cities.

The Artists
Hark Y has been a writer on international affairs and a photographer since 1989. She is the author of four books: Hong Kong SOHO (2008, in Chinese), Why do people in Norwich look young? (2011, in English), Will Hong Kong continue to be a place of Good Luck? from 1989 to 2010 (2011, in English), Shadow Walking 100 hours in NYCLondonHK (2015, in English).

Fong So is a journalist-turned-artist living and working in Hong Kong. He was the Managing Editor of a current affairs magazine for 18 years. Despite his training in traditional Chinese painting, he has created his own genre of brush-and-ink artwork. His recent project is a series of unique paintings and woodcut prints about the world over the past 25 years. His paintings have been exhibited in Hong Kong, Gwangju (South Korea) and London.