We feature a lot of international artists on stuvvz.com, but we also strive to shine a light on local artists, like her and them. There is no intention for it to be some grand gesture, such as protecting and highlighting Hong Kong talents. It’s merely because I feel much more connected to these people.
Their works not only inspire me artistically but seeing past their creative decisions to be a byproduct of our living environment makes it all the more interesting. It may be our common struggle with the lack of space, the sharing of recent sentiments, the habit of visiting the same art supply stores, and the exposure to similar art events in town. All of these become clues, pointing to a relatable identity that is much bigger than just an artist’s name on the label on the side.
This artist fits such a narrative. I spotted her name in a craft fair press release, and it is hard to ignore such a local reference. Lowong’s clay, AKA 老王玩老泥, is a ceramics artist based here in Hong Kong. She has a cat, she likes Japanese food (I believe), and she just started planting tomatoes. Her designs are quirky and soothing for me to look at because they don’t seem to follow any rules. There are uneven corners, nudges, asymmetric shapes, and random line drawings of weird uncles on top. They are such a joy.
The cactus prints revealing breast case and the melting-like lamp shade-shaped cup with a pappardelle handle are my favorites. I hope this artist continues to create random pieces from her daily experiences that can bring a genuine smile to people’s faces.