The Black Series: Night Swims by Corn Shuk Mei Ho

About

The concept emerged during a visit to Lantau Island, Hong Kong where, swimming far off shore one evening, she observed the many-layered darkness of the sky and the sea at night unspoiled by artificial lights. The endless darkness with its subtly differing shades of blackness provided the initial inspiration for the series. The characters in the paintings are depicted as though they are nocturnal creatures, their postures invoking feelings of isolation, solitude, uncertainty and fear. Their emotions are mirrored by the reflections cast on the surface of the dark waters, drawing a line of correlation between water as a physical element and as a symbol for the depths of the human psyche.