The so-called “food is the heaven for the people.” When it comes to delicious food, I believe no one dislikes it. Whether it’s delicacies or authentic snacks, there are always fans. However, besides enjoying various delicacies from the taste buds, have you ever thought about appreciating food visually? Artspace K will host the exhibition “Realistic Art • Food,” inviting 6 renowned artists including Leung Chun-ka, Au Yeung Kwok-kin, Wong Kun-pak, Li Cheng-hui, Hu Jun-yan, and Tang Zi-jun to showcase 37 realistic style paintings with daily food, utensils, and other objects as the main themes. Just looking at the paintings makes one’s mouth water!
Various seemingly simple and ordinary food themes can become the protagonists in the eyes of artists. Six artists from different generations and locations, each with unique life experiences, may paint your favorite foods or evoke memories of a certain taste on your taste buds.
Artist Liang Jinkai’s works use classical oil painting realistic techniques to depict daily life, food, and fruits. Whether the food in the paintings is placed in containers or plastic bags, it shows a casualness in life. Through the artist’s careful composition, the paintings highlight the artist’s ingenuity in composition, light and shadow details, and his superb realistic skills, making the works look almost lifelike from a distance.
Artist Ouyang Guojian’s works often combine realistic still life with imagined scenes or landscapes. The fruits in the exhibited works are set against scenic backgrounds, giving the pieces a touch of fantasy and poetry within their realism. The angular piece “Four Seasons Peace” imitates the shape of traditional Chinese New Year couplets, using food itself in place of words to convey the message of blessings. By combining Eastern traditional values with Western oil painting techniques, the artwork showcases a contemporary way of life.
右：黃坤伯《點心時間》 33x45cm 布面油畫
Artist Huang Kunbo creates using Western classical oil painting techniques, realistically depicting objects in a state of stillness. The bright colors and strong contrast of light and shadow add a touch of surreal beauty to the food. The artist delicately handles textures and textures, while capturing a sense of tranquility in the moment, bringing out the beauty of the food to the extreme. This time, he brings the beloved Taiwanese snacks of Hong Kong people – donuts and pearl milk tea.
Artist Li Chengxi specializes in painting with a marker, creating a series of authentic dishes such as Dongpo pork, claypot rice, and more. The artist depicts the aroma and temperature of the cooked food, even down to the seasoning, making viewers salivate when looking at the artwork. Behind each food is the traditional Chinese food culture and values, such as eating fish, oranges, persimmons during Chinese New Year, symbolizing blessings of abundance and good luck every year.
Artist Hu Junyan exhibits his “Memories of Life” series of oil paintings. Unlike focusing on food itself, he pays more attention to the vessels and kitchenware that hold the food. Through the traces left on these vessels and kitchenware from being used, viewers are reminded of the daily cooking, processes, and lifestyle habits, creating warm images and storytelling in his works. The artist uses his pieces to express his feelings and observations about life, allowing people to feel the quiet beauty of ordinary life.
Artist Tang Tsz Chun uses wood color media to paint a series of familiar Hong Kong-style local classic foods, such as “Stir-Fried Beef Ho Fun”, “French Toast”, and so on. The artist’s strokes are delicate, each stroke brings the work to life, with compositions referencing the daily check-in routine of “camera first, then eat”, documenting common foods found in cha chaan tengs, giving viewers the opportunity to rediscover the deliciousness and preciousness of Hong Kong-style fast food.
“Realistic Art‧Food” Exhibition
Date: November 3, 2022 to January 29, 2023 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Location: Artspace K, G105-106, The Pulse, 109 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong
Image source and learn more: Artspace K
