While the ‘economic Tsunami’ is clearly taking its toll on the world, the art market is suffering its fair share. It is said that almost half of the art work failed to secure a buyer in recent auctions, forcing the auction houses to ‘interfere’ in order to sustain the price level. Despite of it all, artists are still maintaining their will to create new work. We spoke with three artists who are based in the U.K., U.S. and China respectively, on their work and the recent hype of China.

Text：Ron Lam | Edit: Carmen Lee | Translation: dilettante
Image Courtesy: Joe Joe Ngai, Shen Wei and Hanart

JOE JOE NGAI

Ngai’s debut exhibition in Hong Kong ‘Figure Figures’ was held at Galarie Ora Ora II. This series is based on himself, styled into different ‘versions’ – in sport clothing; with mustache; in ladies clothes. Not unfamiliar with using his own image, the artist also painted different ‘versions’ of his body after suicides in an earlier series. Examining one’s identity seems to be Ngai’s consistent theme.

Ngai did not plan for a career when he was studying fine art in the U.K. It took off organically after Ngai’s friend put his painting in an antique furniture shop. Despite of this, Ngai is clearly aware of his identity as a working artist now and eagerly developing his own signature aesthetic.

Joe Joe Ngai is born in Hong Kong in 1975. He graduated from the Goldsmiths College (London Universtiy, U.K.) in 2005. The artist has participated in group show as well as holding solo show in Hong Kong and London since 2002. Ngai’s aims to reflect on various themes in his work, from daily life to one’s inner self.

Q1: Please tell us about your background? Where did you study fine art?
A1: I was born in Hong Kong and later studied fine art in Goldsmiths College. I am currently working and living in London.

Q2: Please tell us a bit about your first piece of art piece.
A2: My first, or the one which is closer to my current aesthetic, is called ‘Drama: The Dead Scene’. It is an installation with a painting element, based on death. I wanted to reflect on different versions of ‘truth’, the truth from the public’s perspective, and the truth from a personal perspective.

Q3: Please tell us about your latest work.
A3: I was inspired by a pet show I went to. The series is composed by twelve cat or dog portraits. I wanted them to be like passport photos, but for the pets. I wanted to distract the attention from their cute faces, but focus on the nature of them being objects. I wanted to highlight the ‘gaps’ in contemporary society and among human beings, which is similar to pet’s role in human world in my opinion.

Q4: How did the pet show inspire you?
A4: It was a surreal experience. Each pet was showing their ‘personality’ and ‘individuality’, which made me re-examine the nature of this competition. Where does this ‘personality’ come from, and whose ‘personality’ is it? It is the fact that these ‘pets’ should belong to the nature and live in their own ways, but at the same time they were trained to suit the habits of human beings. What interests me most is that we also give them ‘personality’ and ‘individuality’. These conditions, taken from human society, are put upon the pets for us to acknowledge their existence.

Q5: How do you show your feelings through the art pieces?
A5: This series is about pet shows specifically, not pets. I tried to show the individuality of each pet as someone who is trying to promote them. What I want to portray is not the pets, but the potential owners. Based on the imagined style and personality, I chose a colour, the title and signature for each of them. Each of the pets, in this case, is an ‘object’ to symbolise the owner. I want to emphsise on the distance, a distance that is not upsetting, but seen as acceptable in our society.

Q6: Series are often very different from a one-off piece. The former seems to allow more space to demonstrate a point, or a longer investigation. How did your feeling towards the subject matter evolve when you were creating the series?
A6: I started this series when I was still studying. I prefer to create a series, because it enables me to express and investigate the theme and map out the journey from the very beginning to the end. I am admittedly impatient and therefore often focus on the theme and the end product, which means I would often miss out on important elements, the keys to the essence. Series are more time-consuming, and allow me to more focus. Also they allow me to take the audience to a journey, instead of just throwing my idea in front of them.

Q7: The aesthetic of this series is similar to your earlier series. Does that mean this is the aesthetic you are establishing?
A7: I do not perceive art to be one piece of work, but an idea and theme over time. I do not consciously build up one singular aesthetic, or paying much attention to the style or media. What I want to do is to make a connection so the audience understands what I am thinking. For this I must maintain certain element, so that the audience can differentiate between my series and their themes.

Q8: How do you perceive the recent hype on China?
A8: I believe there is a distinction between ‘art scene’ and ‘art market’. I am not familiar with the art market so I have no comment on it. About the art scene, I think it is a good thing that people are being open-minded and accepting different expression. The history of Chinese art is thousand-year long, although most of which are no longer being discussed. There were many influential ideas that still made an impact to later generations.

Q9: As a Chinese artist in a foreign country, does it give you an advantage? For example, more opportunity?
A9: I grew up in Hong Kong and the U.K. My work reflects on the contemporary life, not on my Chinese background, so I do not think I benefit much from the recent China hype. Although I must say that the increasing attention on Chinese contemporary art is allowing me more stimulations from Chinese art.

SHEN WEI

The subjects of Shen Wei’s ‘Almost Naked’ series are mostly strangers from the street. Half naked on the bed, or sitting on the stairs, leaning on the sofa, smoking a cigarette; Calm, dreamy, looking on but not in the lens, cautious but generous about showing their bodies.

In order to make the ‘models’ comfortable in front of the camera, Shen Wei spent much time to engage in a conversation with each of them. Baring their bodies in front of the camera, it is more about baring their souls behind these images. Through his lens, Shen Wei wants his subject to naked in both forms.

‘Naked is human nature, a desire, a self-expression and a way to release. To me, it is much more complex and memorising to bare one’s soul than the body.’ ─ Shen Wei

Shen Wei is born in Shanghai, later studied photography in New York and gained a master degree in fine art at School of Visual Arts (New York). He won many awards over the years, including Griffin award, American Photo Magazine Best Photography in 2007.

Q1: Please could you tell us about your background? Where did you study?
A1: I was born in Shanghai and went to America when I was 23. I gained a design degree in Shanghai and was part of the first generation of freelancer in Shanghai. I decided to focus on photography when I arrived in America. I did my degree in fine art in Minneapolis College of Art and Design and my master in School of Visual Arts (New York).

Q2: What model was your first camera?
A2: It was a Canon AE – 1 and I still use it sometimes. It is an old mechanic camera, but it still works very well.

Q3: Which was your first piece?
A3: It was a self-portrait series. I mimicked the characters from classical French portraits in a modern way, with dark humour.

Q4: Let’s talk about your ‘Almost Naked’ series. What does ‘naked’ mean to you?
A4: I want to portray human nature, emotion, desire, instinct and roles and such matter through the ‘Almost Naked’ series. I want to reveal an intense emotional state that only can be felt, but not explained. It is not only bodily, but emotionally, a slightly threatening nakedness. Of course, this is my personal perspective towards Americans and the society. For the audience, it is more important for them to discover the meaning of humanity from the series. Naked is human nature, a desire, a self-expression and a way to release. To me, it is much more complex and memorising to bare one’s soul than the body.

Q5: How did you find your models?
A5: They are mostly strangers. I found them when I travel, or out and about… I always introduce myself if I am interested in shooting someone, despite of the situation. And then I shoot them there, or make a suitable arrangement.

Q6: How did you communicate with them to capture what you want in the images?
A6: Each of them is unique in their nature and personality. I would engage each of them in a genuine and friendly conversation and hope to gain their trust. It is through mutual communication that their emotions would start to reveal. The key is to make them feel relax and have trust in what you do, then the rest comes naturally.

Q7: There were only two Asian faces in the series.
A7: I always shoot Asians during the four years. There is a considerable number of Asians in my series of 80. It is only natural that there were more Americans because I shot them in America. I find the mentality of America Chinese and local Americans are quite similar.

Q8: Chinese Artists are gaining status outside China, but at the same time other art critics commented that these artists are merely repeating themselves. How do you see the recent hype in Chinese art?
A8: I do not wish to repeat myself as an artist. I am constantly challenging myself, even in the ‘Almost Naked’ series. In my opinion there are some great artists in China now, while others could be shallow and skin-deep. I do think that repeating oneself could be a learning process though.

Q9: As a Chinese artist in America, do you think you are benefitted from the recent hype? For example, has it given you more opportunity?
A9: New York is the art capital, and artists from all over the world are competing in the scene. Chinese artists, American artists and others are equal in this competition. I believe that the work speaks for the artist. The fact that I had my education in America excludes me from any benefits from the Chinese background.

QIU ANXIONG
Qiu Anxiong’s ‘New Sutra of Mountain and Sea’ was exhibited in a show called ‘Digit@logue’ in Hong Kong. The children were the biggest audience, ‘oh-ing’ and ‘ah-ing’ non-stop for a good thirty minutes in front of the screen, wanting to find out about the hidden monster in the film and what power it processes. ‘New Sutra of Mountain and Sea’ is a reflection on the contemporary world — pollution, war, destruction of the nature and such matters. It is an ironic expression in a historic fantasy format, although came across like a surreal cartoon in the innocent eyes of the children audience.

Spotting the artist’s elaborate installation in Art Basel, his work also made appearance in Yokohama Triennale and Guangzhou Triennial. The recent hype has pushed the price mark of Qiu Anxiong’s work up, but it is also down to the artist’s monk-like enduring creativity.

Qiu Anxiong is born in Sichuan (China) in 1972. He took a strong interest in contemporary art when he was still studying. Qiu worked in a design firm after university graduation, and bravely resigned after one year and became a freelance artist. He then started a bar and was close to peer artists such as Zhang Xiaogang, Zhou Chunya, He Duoling and Shen Xiao-Tong. Qiu went to Germany to study fine art in 1998. The cultural shock pushed him to re-assess his own cultural identity and creative language. The artist showed his work in the U.K., the Netherland, Switzerland and Hong Kong previously.

Q1: Please could you tell us about your background? When did you start to paint?
A1: I started painting since I was a child. I decided to practice it when I was about to finish junior high school, and went on to study drawing and design in a design college. And then I studied teaching drawing in the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.

Q2: When did you start making animation? What inspired you to move into this media?
A2: I decided to choose animation as my media in 2005. I watched a lot of animation in my childhood, like ‘Havoc in Heaven’ and many others by Shanghai Animation Film Studio. And then I was also into Japanese animation like ‘Astroboy’ and ‘Ikkyu’. I did not make
animation before simply because I could not. I was inspired by many art-house animations when I left China, also the students at Kunsthochschule Kassel, who won the Oscar. Their work is shorter so I was inspired to give it a try myself. The work of William Kentridge is truly amazing and gave me much motivation.

Q3: What did you major in when you studied in Germany? What is the biggest gain during the six years?
A3: I graduated at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, and then studied in Germany. I was painting mainly, but tempted to try something new after being exposed to installations and various work. My biggest gain is a daughter. For me, the biggest gain is to have the chance to reflect on oneself. Who am I? Why am I me but not anyone else? How am I going to develop based on my own background? That is also the reason why I decided to return to China.

Q4: You studied in Germany, had a daughter, and returned to China to allow your daughter to learn the China tradition. How do you define you relationship with Chinese tradition?
A4: I find it familiar yet distant. It is because there is very little tradition remains in our education and surroundings. The context of Chinese tradition seems to play a very small part in Chinese’s contemporary lives. Since about a hundred year ago, the Chinese culture is always in relation to the Western culture, and the Chinese perceives it as a target to catch up and surpass. In this process, the tradition is seen as disposable. I grew up in such a culture, and then it developed into the culture today. I still find it familiar because when I read traditional books, I realised that my life and mentality is still very much Chinese, that the cultural genes remains and still runs in my blood.

We have an intimate relationship with the tradition even appearing otherwise. Of course, many things have changed and we cannot go back to the past. It is impossible to live an utterly nostalgic life, or to breakaway from tradition completely. We need to identity our position now with the altitude of the reality and history, and build a new Chinese culture base on the understanding.

Q5: I saw your ‘New Sutra of Mountain and Sea’ in the Hanart Gallery. Please could you tell us what attracts you to ‘The Classic of Mountains and Seas’ (Shanhaijing) in the first place?
A5: ‘New Sutra of Mountain and Sea’ is my recent work and I had the title a while ago. ‘The Classic of Mountains and Seas’ (Shanhaijing) is the earliest Encyclopedia in China, on geography and biography. It contains many Chinese mythologies, such as ‘Nu Wa mending the sky’, ‘Kua Fu chasing the sun’ and ‘the Queen Mother of the West’. The illustration is very surreal and quirky to start with, but when I spent more time I started to find the details quite real. While imagination tends to be abstract and vague, it is not so in ‘Shanhaijing’. The fear and awe the author clearly shown in his work and it is derived from him being aware of the unknown. It is ironic now that we are in the hi-tech communication era and yet we may not know any better than before. The technology covers up our ignorance and gives us the false notion that we know everything. This is very sad and I think it is more important for one to be aware of what one does not know rather that the other way round.

Q6: What do you want to express through the ‘New Sutra of Mountain and Sea’?
A6: We should look at the world with fresh eyes.

Q7: Did you feel differently about ‘Shanhaijing’ throughout your work process?
A7: As I said, that I once firmly believe it is utterly imaginative, but now I am starting to believe there is some truth in it.

Q8: Why do you choose to use ink in your animation? What is it about ink that you find attractive?
A8: I choose propene to draw the storyboard because its nature is close to ink, also diluted with water. It allows me to create something light and heavy as I wish. The two are contradictory, but creates a dramatic feeling which is interesting.

Q9: It must be hard work making animation. Did it ever come across your mind to give up?
A9: I do not mind the physical fatigue at all, but the thinking process gets difficult sometimes. I always aim to take a departure from my previous work, so it gets harder and harder to break my own mould. I never give up just because it is hard work, I believe nothing is ever easy. Just being is hard work. I will persevere if it is interesting and worthwhile.

Q10: Chinese art reaches a great worldwide hype in recent years. Yue Minjun just did a solo show in Queen Museum and he continuously enjoys praises from the West. On the other hand, local art critics are starting to question whether he is trapped in his own repetition. How do you feel about this?
A10: This is similar to what I mentioned before. This is the question for each artist, myself included. Once you have established your own name, it gets harder to break new ground. Habits and outer pressure are powerful. It is the test for differentiating good artists from the rest, because they always manage to move forward no matter what. Chinese art is trendy right now, but it is just a trend which is bound to change in time. Many will give up, but true artists will persevere.

Q11: How do you think Chinese art scene has changed? Do you think people are more receptive nowadays?
A11: There is a definite change, it feels more open and free, there are more opportunities around and the market has been responding great. But then the hidden force of the capital is starting to take strong control over the market so it is not as free as it seems. Chinese needs to be educated about art. Art is very integrated into people’s lives in the West, while it is still a novelty in China. It has changed since then, but it is down to money. People are attracted to the prices,but not the art itself. The Chinese is copying the Western system but it places such a hierarchy and separates the public from the ‘elite’. Most artists do not think it is a problem, since they are more concerned with whether their work would be collected by the Western curators and collectors.

Q12: What expectation do you have for Chinese art?
A12: I think it is more realistic to act, not to think. By acting, at least you can change your inner self, if not the outside world.