ART BEHIND THE SECRET GARDEN

(Front) Yayoi Kusama, The Moment of Regeneration, (Back) Mary Weatherford

K11 MUSEA, a sparkling cultural landmark with art as its key note, is surrounded with with imaginative pieces of art in every corner. With the grand opening of K11 Art & Cultural Centre at its sixth floor, these museum quality art pieces across K11 MUSEA will be escalated to the next level.

This mystical multi-purpose space spanning over 105,000 sq. ft. featuring an inspiring collection by acclaimed artists such as Chris HUEN Sin Kan, Sterling Ruby, Mary Weatherford, Matthias Weischer, Yayoi Kusama and Turner Prize winner Oscar Murillo; while magnificent sculptures by Katharina Grosse, Tatiana Trouvé and Erwin Wurm, await outside at K11 Sculpture Park.

Another signature featured artwork is “Timo, Danny, Nasim and Mary Go to the Agave Fields” by Mary Weatherford, the recognized Los Angeles-based artist. Recognized as one of the leading painters of her generation, as well as one of the most astute and daring practitioners taking on the legacies of American abstraction, Mary Weatherford painted with deceptively effortless gestural brushstrokes, finished with a neon rod screwed directly into the canvas — a perfect embodiment of West Coast ecologies, neon-illuminated streets and her own memories and reflections.

Other key highlights include local artist Chris HUEN Sin Kan’s Trees, which draws inspiration from the charm and beauty of commonplace happenings, and Turner Prize winner Oscar Murillo’s día mundial de las aves migratorias which translates into “World Migratory Bird Day” and consists of elements that are inspired by different cultures and regions.

The Gourmet Chamber, which is also at the sixth floor, will debut with a diverse range of restaurants and bars – including COBO HOUSE, COUCOU Reserve, Fine Wine Experience, Sushi Watatsumi and TeaMiTea — opening in phases alongside the incredible artwork on display.

01 Oscar Murillo, d.a mundial de las aves migratorias, 2017−2018

02 Chris HUEN Sin Kan, Trees, 2019

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Trapiche © Photo E. Billie Hughes / Lotus Gemology

The microscopic world of each gemstone is an intriguing work of art; each with its unique colour and shape, which is deeply fascinating.

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AVAF Display poster

Debuting over 15 limited edition collectible figurines, APPortfolio has brought the characters of the Peanuts comic strip to life.

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Pensée shoe of 1992 is the first red sole being known worldwide.

Shoes have attained an iconic, almost sacred dimension, and today, there’s a kind of idol worship around the shoe as an object.
— Christian Louboutin, the internationally renowned footwear designer

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ZIMMERMANN Edie Embroidery Short Dress WANDLER Billy Arch Bag in White Calf Leather

“Antonia Giacinti handpicks over 50 fashion labels to style looks that easily flourish you with this Spring/Summer 2020 trend.”

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“To Louis, this party completed his 13th birthday. From idea generation to venue decoration, the creative team of Club ZFU fully showcased his artistic talents.”

Every kid embraces uniqueness with individual differences, and so does Louis, a young member of Club ZFU who is also a gifted artist. Back on his 13th birthday, our creative team organized a dream-come-true party – from idea generation to venue decoration – for his showcase and in the meantime shared good memories with his family as well as other guests.

Refined decorations and character interactions are always kids’ favourites in birthday celebration. Unlike usual parties, Club ZFU customized Louis’s with the theme of “Louixart Doodles Exhibition”, at “Liang Yi Museum” located on Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

As guests entered the museum, they were surrounded by Louis’s paintings. Moved a step forward and they were in close proximity to the artworks. At the centre of the museum played a video of his creative process, where they could peek into the great mind. Such meticulously decorated space cultivated a light-hearted atmosphere for them to appreciate this young artist.

In spite of his young age, Louis is artistically talented. Gaudy colours along with deliberate lines, his doodles showed strong stylistic characters, forming signature pieces of his own.

01 Club ZFU customized Louis’s party with the theme of “Louixart Doodles Exhibition”, at “Liang Yi Museum” located on Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. 02 As guests entered the museum, they were surrounded by Louis’s paintings. Moved a step forward and they were in close proximity to the artworks.  03 At the centre of the museum played a video of his creative process, where guests could peek into the great mind. Such meticulously decorated space cultivated a light-hearted atmosphere for them to appreciate this young artist. 04 We arranged an art-jamming session that guests enjoyed drawing with the others. 05 The segment of “families with children” accounts for more than 60% of Club ZFU membership. We strive to bring extraordinary experiences to our members as well as their beloved ones. 06 On this memorable day, Club ZFU invited professional pastry chefs to replicate Louis’s paintings onto macaroons, which were delicate enough for guests to get some Instagram-worthy shots.

In fact, Louis does not acquire his skills from any masters, but all by himself. With daily practices and persisting time-commitment, he is capable of “automatic mode of doodling”. When doodling, he shares that his mind comes across characters from arcade games, and that is where his inspiration originates. His remarkable achievements are crystallized by over 20,000 followers on his Instagram since the initiation.

Alongside the exhibition, Club ZFU prepared food for guests on this memorable day. We invited professional pastry chefs to replicate the paintings onto macaroons– delicate enough to get some Instagram- worthy shots. As a special highlight of the day, we arranged an art-jamming session that guests enjoyed drawing with the others. Last but not least, we compiled Louis’ artworks into an exclusive collection as a souvenir for all.

As guests entered the museum, they were surrounded by Louis’s paintings. Moved a step forward and they were in close proximity to the artworks.

The segment of “families with children” accounts for more than 60% of Club ZFU membership. We strive to bring extraordinary experiences to our members as well as their beloved ones, by hosting various activities that can create memories of a lifetime.

In the future, Club ZFU continues to pamper members with an unrivalled level of personalised luxury: a stay-at-home Michelin-starred chef’s table experience, a romantic dinner with exotic skyline views in Singapore or a participation in favourite movie as supporting cast. Let us paint your life in bright colours and bold strokes!

Vol.11

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Floral Sash Vanity Case Strauss, Allard & Meyer Enamel, sapphire and gold Paris, circa 1925

“

The memories of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan and his wife, Princess Catherine, are enfolded in these precious Art Deco boxes. Unveil the incredible masterpieces to witness their enduring love.”

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Outlining… Embellishing … Layering… This process was like a spell that I could barely escape, until an ornate butterfly was clearly streamlined on my sketch paper as if I conjured it up with soul and mind.

In an afternoon class of “The Gouaché in High Jewelry 1: The Light”, at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts at K11 MUSEA, I celebrated every High Jewelry piece brought to life by elite designers. They earned my deepest respect for assembling originality and delicacy together in creation.

L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts (L’ÉCOLE) was established with the support of the High Jewelry Maison Van Cleef & Arpels. The only overseas campus, L’ÉCOLE in Hong Kong blended tranquillity and modernity upon introducing the world of jewelry arts. It was devised by renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, playing with natural day light through organic shapes.

Walking down its spiral staircase, L’ÉCOLE felt more like a jewelry-arts school, where an underground classroom, an exhibition area, a library and a balcony that embraced the panoramic Victoria Harbour view, all lived under the same roof. My attention was nevertheless captured by the “Precious Art Deco Objects” exhibition – a remarkable display of close to 50 masterpieces from the collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan, at the aisle end along my way to the classroom.

“Welcome to L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts,” two french teachers, a jewelry designer from France and a visual artist based in Hong Kong, greeted me warmly with a smile. Each class was taken by at least two teachers from a team of experts in their fields: jewelry art historians, gemologists, master jewelers, designers, mock-up makers, stone setters and lacquer craftsmen. With the accommodation up to 12 participants, it was able to give participants the time each deserved to have one-on-one discussion with teachers in a small-class setting.

After being equipped with work essentials of jewelry designers: a white lab coat and professional tools for drawing gouachés, I was ready for my journey to the world of jewelry arts.

“What is gouaché?” It was sure to be a question I had before stepping into the classroom. A gouaché is the primary step in the creation of a High Jewelry piece: a painted sketch that acts as a guide for all the craftsmen involved: mock-up makers, jewelers, gemologists and stone setters. Progressing from the depiction of a flat object to one with three- dimensional volume requires a highly-skilled technique for sure; this was a challenge I was going to meet today.

Teachers began with a presentation of gouaché techniques. From learning how to position light and shadow to studying jewelry designers’ gestures, such as direction and speed, time was well-spent on painting a white gold piece in the shape of a bow. It surprised me a little that seemingly simple painted sketches in the world of jewelry arts concealed valuable efforts from designers.

Participants, including myself, joyously ended the day with our own gouaché and a class certificate. A list of books, podcasts, websites, museums related to the class were also provided by teachers to allow for further exploration into this jewelry-arts journey.

In fact, over 20 courses and workshops are offered monthly by L’ÉCOLE in three specialized areas: “Savoir- Faire”, “Art History of Jewelry” and “The Universe of Gemstones”, to promote the public education of art with a wide-ranging audience. “The Gouaché in High Jewelry 1 – The Light” is one of the two courses under “Savoir-faire”. But what makes L’ÉCOLE more special? It offers “Workshops for Young People”, aiming to stimulate the imaginations of children and teenagers from ages five to 17 in understanding the world of jewelry arts.

Back at home, I could not resist looking at my gouaché over and over again. It was not a painted sketch, it was a eye-pleasing butterfly. This butterfly was about to spread its wings and lend a sparkle to the night without saying a goodbye…

#Vol.09

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Coated in candy and covered in rainbow colours, there is barely a person who can resist the glamour of lollipops in one’s childhood. As it melts in your mouth, your mind will be imbued with a momentary pleasure, filling every bit of you with happiness.

– Under the pen name Leon Lollipop, Leon is a multi-disciplined artist whose works include drawing and design. Leon Lollipop is more than a catchy name, it also fully reflects Leon’s drawing style – as lively and pleasant as a lollipop.

“I have a fondness for animals, especially cats and dogs. They seem to have an emotional connection with us.”

– Leon Lollipop

– Wearing a crown on his head and holding his chin on his hand, he is deeply immersed in his contemplation. This little pug, Carlo, is always featured in Leon’s drawings. It’s lovely character has attracted numerous animal fans.

– When you take a closer look into Leon Lollipop’s drawings, you will discover his penchant for animals. As they appear in most of his works, one may wonder what makes Leon so attached to animals.

– “I have a fondness for animals, especially cats and dogs. They seem to have an emotional connection with us,” Leon explained.

– Apart from this collection of art works, the recent drawings by Leon Lollipop have overcome the boundaries of frames. He presents his work across several canvases so that they piece together to make a larger painting which leaves me with a strong impression.

– “In the past, my art works were framed in a square or rectangle. Now, I would like to make a breakthrough – to overcome the boundaries of frames and pursue other forms of presentation. By using different materials or fabrics, I try to give my art works an irregular shape and an unusual texture,” Leon added.

– “Comparing with your works in the past, this series carries a brand-new style. Looking back, how has your style changed?” I asked.

– “After completing the design programme at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, I flew to the U.K to read a Masters Degree in Industrial Design at the Central St. Martins College of Arts and Design,” Leon said. “One time when I was in a second-hand book store, I saw a photo in a book, in which there is a girl playing with her dog but the photo showed the lower half body of the girl only. This photo impressed me a lot and it became the major composition of my works at a very early stage.”

– “At that time, the gist of my works was mainly about my personal stories and sentiments. But then when I had the opportunities to work with different brands, I tried to include more different topics in my works. Now, as I mentioned before, I would like to jump out of the frame and look for more breakthroughs,” said Leon Lollipop.

– As a matter of fact, Leon Lollipop’s style has attracted many art lovers. He has worked with international brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Benefit Cosmetics, MCM Worldwide and Michael Kors.

– When I asked him about his most memorable experience, he recounted, “I had two crossover projects with Benefit, the American cosmetic brand, in which I draw with the Indispensable Rouge Water and the Brow Pencil. Although it was quite challenging to use cosmetics instead of drawing pens to draw, I am very happy with the artpiece.”

– While Leon looks forward to more future opportunities to cooperate with different brands, he hopes that his works can bring happiness to others.

– If you wish to have a closer look into Leon Lollipop’s works, make sure you will not miss the 15th Asia Contemporary Art Show from 4 October to 7 October at Conrad Hong Kong, where Leon’s latest works will be exhibited.

Asia Contemporary Art Show, 15th Edition
October 4th – 7th October, 2019
Conrad Hong Kong, 40 – 43 floors

#Vol.08

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Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (b.1962, Tokyo, Japan), which runs from 1 June to 1 September 2019. The exhibition explores the multifaceted universe of the cultural phenomenon of this Japanese super-star artist.

– Curated by Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, and Gunnar B. Kvaran, Director of Astrup Fearnley Museet (Oslo, Norway), MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI features divergent extremes of the
artist’s oeuvre—from his large-scale post-apocalyptic works to his optimistic flower pieces, and then to his contemplative Enso paintings, offering Buddhist visions of enlightenment.

– Also on view for the first time is a showcase of some of the artist’s iconic and outlandish costume designs, which visitors will experience alongside other important video works, samples of his private art collection, as well as the artist’s spectacular wall and floor art— which serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact.

– Utilising all spaces in the art galleries at Tai Kwun, this comprehensive survey will feature over 60 paintings and sculptures in a stunning, immersive setting, which showcases the intriguing paradoxes embodied in the diverse work and life of Takashi Murakami.

The Birth Cry of a Universe

– The main hall of 3/F encapsulates Takashi Murakami’s mélange of high and low, elite art and pop culture. Under the cute surfaces, however, lurk darker visions of trauma and pain, forging strange and singular scenes of a dark wonder.

– The highlight of the room is the large gold-leaf clad 4.5-metre-tall sculpture The Birth Cry of a Universe, shown here for the first time in its final version after 14 years of preparation, presents a majesty flustered and disturbed, collapsing under its own weight in formal deterioration. The floor art of skulls, too, forces visitors to traverse a scene of devastation—as visceral memento mori, a reminder of the vanity of earthly goods and pursuits.

The Collection

– While Takashi Murakami is certainly a pop icon the world over, he in fact has a deep understanding of art history, with a PhD in traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga). Over the years, the artist has also built a remarkable collection that reflects his historical rigor and eclectic tastes. Also on view is a selection of his art collection—in total numbering thousands of works and items—with works by postwar artists who influenced him, from Japan to the West. The pieces chosen were driven by nostalgia, reaching back to the roots of his own career, as well as a respect for great artistic geniuses.

Costumes

– Takashi Murakami is known for dressing up, partaking in zany “cosplay” which one sees in Japanese subculture. The artist sees himself as somewhat of an “otaku” and claims modestly that with a weakness in speaking English, he communicates and achiees attention with his costumes—which perhaps also serve as an armour against the rarefied world of contemporary art. Eight colourful costumes of his are now shown for the first time in an exhibition setting.

Superflat Flowers

– One steps in a room of overwhelming affective power— generated in no small part by Takashi Murakami’s signature flower icons, obsessively and repetitively combined and presented. Takashi Murakami himself has elaborated the concept of “Superflat”, which refers not only to the perspectival flatness on the picture plane in Japanese art, but also ushers in the rejection of hierarchical divisions between high and low art, and of society itself. With his abiding interest in art history, these works also allude to Abstract Expressionism’s explorations of allover compositions.

Enso

– Covered wall to ceiling in gold, this room serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact. On one level, this gestures towards Andy Warhol’s silver Factory, a studio decorated in tin foil and silver paint. In many ways, Murakami’s creative approach resembles that of Warhol’s: repetition in variation, commingling of high and low, erasure of boundaries between the canonical and the popular, as well as the scaled-up production of the studios and an eye for commercial and promotional impact. On another level, however, his usage of gold equally recalls the sacred aura of religious icons, figures, and spaces throughout history. With the Enso paintings, Murakami moreover harks back to Japanese tradition. As a motif, the Enso (literally “circle”) symbolises emptiness, unity, and infinity in Zen Buddhism; here, some are spray- painted over gold and silver, while some are painted over embossed patterns of skulls. The artist thus offers a meditative space to reflect on nothingness and finitude—a contemplative finale to the exhibition MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI.

Kaikai and Kiki

– At once playful, lively and devoid of obvious meaning, Kaikai and Kiki features two mischievous characters that reoccur in Takashi Murakami’s artistic practice. “Kaikai” is the child figure with the rabbit ears while “Kiki” is the figure with three eyes and fangs for teeth. “Kaikai Kiki”, which are inscribed on their ears respectively, can be translated as “supernatural” or “weird” and was the phrase used to praise the blend of weirdness and refinement in the works of the sixteenth-century Japanese painter Kanō Eitoku. “Kaikai Kiki” also happens to be the name of Takashi Murakami’s art management and production company. In a characteristic “Superflat” style that flattens meanings and depth, these two sculptures at the same time stand in for the artist’s company as mascots of the brand while also reflecting the consumerist visual economy that Takashi Murakami has always explored and intervened in. Kaikai and Kiki are the first outdoor sculptural works by Takashi Murakami since his exhibition at the Château de Versailles.

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI
Exhibition from 1 June to 1 September 2019
Tai Kwun Contemporary
JC Contemporary and F Hall Studio
Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily from 10:30am – 7pm (10:30am – 9pm on Fridays)

Photo: ©Takashi Murakami/Kaikai KikiCo.,Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

#Vol.07

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