In the journey of life, everyone’s starting point may be different, but the starting point does not determine the path ahead. Understanding the needs of each stage, finding what you truly love, may help you accumulate strength to face the long days ahead. Hong Kong veteran media personality Sharon Cheung has been in the news industry for many years, later transitioning to the entertainment and business circles, always at the forefront of society’s fast-paced changes. After years of hard work in the workplace and entering a stable stage in her career, she chose to pick up her textbooks and paintbrushes again, enrolling in a three-year art degree program at the Hong Kong Academy of Art. Her life has since undergone a dramatic change, officially embarking on her artistic journey.
From a young age, Sharon had many interests, and at that time, she didn’t even think about painting. Many years later, she found herself fully immersed in the art world, which was something she never expected. Past coincidences led her to have experience in curating and organizing exhibitions, which also allowed the artistic seed buried deep in her heart to sprout. Reconnecting with art was like opening up a path with no turning back for her. In addition to creating again with a paintbrush in hand, this period also introduced her to many talented individuals in the local art scene, giving her a glimpse of the rich diversity of local art.
In 2022, despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic, Sharon has not stopped pursuing her artistic endeavors. In addition to actively preparing for her bachelor’s graduation exhibition, she also launched SC Gallery in March, focusing on local art, to provide a platform for Hong Kong creators to showcase their work.
Middle-aged career change, Sharon feels it is neither too late nor too early, but instead, she is ushering in a boom period for local art. From being a creator, curator, to now owning her own gallery, everything did not come easily. How did she have the determination to pave a new path? And what confidence does she have in Hong Kong art behind the scenes? This episode of “Art Journey” follows Sharon into the SC Gallery in Wong Chuk Hang, where she talks in detail about her journey into art midway, and her various expectations for the development of Hong Kong art.
“Relearning art has opened another door to the world for me.”
If staying in the status quo leads to regression, then Sharon is definitely one of the most daring to seek change. After rolling in the media and entertainment industry for many years, everything seems to be going smoothly. What exactly triggered her to choose to leave her comfort zone and venture into a completely new field? Sharon laughs and says, “There are some things in life that can blossom on you, and many of them are actually due to human relationships.” Starting from being the art ambassador of K11, the people and environment she encountered there have inspired her to reconnect with artistic creation.
Sharon has experienced continuous international news reporting trips and has also dealt with extremely large-scale business events. One would think that there is nothing she can’t handle, but when we talk about her artistic journey, she openly says, “The first year was really hard to describe. At this age, I thought my understanding was quite good, but looking back at the first year of studying art, I completely couldn’t understand the language the teachers were speaking. Because I had never been exposed to those theories, I easily felt fearful in class.”
She, who thinks rationally, cannot understand what “talking to a painting” means, and is full of doubts about the idea of “letting the painting express itself.” She bluntly says, “The training in journalism emphasizes objectivity, while art is a 180-degree turn, mainly exploring the artist’s personal feelings.” This made her reflect on her past, where she only used rational cognition and logical thinking to understand the environment, but neglected to feel the various beauties that exist in the world. After three years of training, she jokingly says that she can now grasp both subjective and objective senses, opening up a whole new perspective on how to view things.
“Hong Kong art is currently in its golden age.”
Transforming from an outsider to the founder of SC Gallery, Sharon may have faced many doubts along the way. However, despite a hundred reasons from the outside world to deny herself, it cannot compare to her unwavering determination. While others are still pondering the prospects of developing art in Hong Kong these days, Sharon has already put her ideas into practice, seeking answers through action.
Watching Sharon gradually develop her artistic career, we were curious to ask her if she ever had the thought of “if only I had started earlier.” She firmly replied, “I feel like I hit the golden time in every stage of my life.” Timing is neither too late nor too early for her, as she sees every moment she participates in as “just right.”
Looking back on past work experiences, during the years at Rencai News Media, it was a time of abundant resources. Later on, venturing into the entertainment industry, she also witnessed the golden age of Hong Kong films. Reflecting on the current environment, she said, “I feel that art is currently experiencing a golden age because it has a more important social responsibility. When other media are not as good and efficient, art can actually take on more responsibility to document society and the spirit of the people.”
She continued, “Artworks always have a kind of ambiguity, even in a sensitive and high-pressure era, they can survive.” Artworks can reflect the spirit of a place, Sharon believes that contemporary art is no longer simply about aesthetic creation, but has become a testimony of the times.
“There is a certain quality among friends in the art circle that I didn’t feel in my past circles, and that is ‘purity’.”
Sharon laughed at herself for still adapting to the slow pace of the art world after retreating from the fast-paced media circle. In her previous work environment, information often came rushing in like a flood, with every interaction emphasizing speed and immediacy, messages were responded to instantly. It wasn’t until she interacted with more artists that she realized communication, like creation, takes time. The leisurely pace not only allows artists more time to digest information but also allows them to let emotions settle into creative nutrients, which then transform into the genes of their work.
Throughout my life experiences, I have become more curious about the greatest changes that entering the art industry has brought to Sharon. Without hesitation, she replied, “First and foremost, it is definitely the friendships I have made, each person has opened a door for me in their own professional field.” Whether it’s ceramics, ink wash painting, or oil painting, each artist has their own interesting experiences. However, what truly touches Sharon is not how brilliant the works produced are, but the “purity” that each person exudes.
She said, “Many artists are like this, they create without seeking rewards, truly wanting to do good work purely, without considering too much, not too concerned about how much time and effort they put in, many are focused on the creation itself.” Taking the recent exhibition artist “Still Sunshine” at the gallery as an example, they all carefully carve out the details, even if it’s just a grid or a color block, every stroke is filled with thought, every line is full of warmth, these cannot be compared with money and speed. Sharon couldn’t help but sigh, “This purity is very different from this utilitarian society, there are really such good people.”
“Life requires making choices, but I will not stop painting.”
Sharon wears many hats, not only running her own company, but also managing SC Gallery, previously serving as a lecturer at Chinese University, and continuing to operate her own YouTube channel. The channel updates almost daily, covering a wide range of topics including literature, art, film, politics, lifestyle, current events, and more, making it truly impressive. On the day of the interview, Sharon was still busy preparing for the next exhibition at the gallery, leaving everyone in awe. It turns out that there are indeed people who can truly excel at “multitasking”.
Despite a packed schedule, Sharon still finds time to paint. The constant flow of work makes painting a channel to relieve stress and provide emotional support. She admits that she doesn’t give herself enough time for creation to fully enjoy it. However, she understands that everyone has limited time and energy, so making choices is understandable. But she is certain that she will not stop creating on her artistic journey.
When talking about her recent works, she shared with us her abstract portrait series. In the past, Sharon preferred to paint landscapes and floral themes in bright and vivid colors. However, influenced by three years of art courses, she now prefers to outline those distorted faces. In terms of style, she has captured the decayed faces of the dark aesthetic master Francis Bacon, creating visual dramatic tension with strong brushstrokes, while also blending Edvard Munch’s emotionally rich compositional style.
Sharon once shared her work with others, only to be met with the blunt statement, “Portrait paintings don’t sell!” She was labeled negatively, but Sharon’s original intention in creating her portrait series did not consider their market value. She said, “There can be many variations in painting portraits. I’m not aiming for hyper-realism; all are deformed faces. I believe that the human face actually holds a lot of information and codes, so I am very interested in it.” She jokingly added, “Others say it won’t sell, so I want to try and see if it will. I also want to learn that purity, as when everything is measured by money, creativity will be limited.”
“Choosing to immerse myself in art and opening a gallery makes me feel like I have finally found something worth looking forward to in the second half of my life.”
The above batch of portrait works will be exhibited at the Hong Kong Arts Center in July, and then move to SC Gallery for exhibition in August. Prior to this, the gallery has held several thematic exhibitions that bring together local art creations. Sharon’s original intention in founding this gallery was also to tell urban stories through the works of local artists.
From conception to implementation, everything seems to require a long time to prepare, and no one would have expected that the gallery would be set up from scratch in just two weeks. Encouraged by Professor Chan Yuk-keung at the time, Sharon began to prepare. She frankly said, “I don’t think too much, thinking too much will make you hesitate, because you will scare yourself with the difficulties you imagine. Just keep going with anything, there will be no smooth sailing all the way, obstacles will definitely arise in the process, when there are obstacles, deal with them immediately, life is constantly encountering problems and solving them.”
With a bold and decisive attitude, the gallery finally opened in March. She shared contentedly, “When I made the decision, I immediately felt that there was a way out in life, as if I could see the sunshine in the future. I finally feel that there are things worth looking forward to in the second half of my life, willing to accept future challenges and impacts, there is a long road to walk, and many obstacles to overcome. This is what gives life its drive, I feel that this is the greatest benefit of immersing myself in the art world.”
SC Gallery is based in Hong Kong, and now collaborates with local Hong Kong artists. The subjects and topics they create revolve around Hong Kong, documenting the city’s residents, emotions, life, urban rhythm, social changes. Sharon said, “I don’t want artworks to be merely decorative, but I want them to carry the weight of an era within them. This is my greatest expectation for the gallery.”
“Hong Kong is currently undergoing a major period of transformation, and this is actually the time for Hong Kong artists to break out.”
The so-called weight of the times is actually the connection between works and cities. All literary and artistic works must be linked to the times. The greater the changes in the times, the stronger the creative power of cultural works. Since Hong Kong is currently experiencing a major era of change, the space for Hong Kong artists to create has also increased. This is a great opportunity for these creators to break through.
Sharon is full of confidence in the strength and creativity of Hong Kong artists. She feels that the current works are no longer just about painting skills, but rather about reflecting the artist’s thinking in the concept of the work. When it comes to the definition of an “artist,” she says, “I think in any industry, in the end, if you want to go far and achieve success, the most important thing is your brain. How broad is your thinking, how worldly, how much you see, how smart you are, actually determines how far you can go in the future.”
The level of Hong Kong artists is very high, often just lacking a platform to showcase their work. Now, SC Gallery serves as a space for exhibition, taking the initiative to promote local art. She hopes to continue telling Hong Kong stories through the creations of these artists in the future.
No matter how the development path changes, Sharon always regards Hong Kong as her base. She once said that she doesn’t want to let go easily of her feelings for this place. What exactly is tying her here?
She laughed and said, “The me you see today is actually nurtured by the soil of this place, constructed by the culture here. I feel that leaving Hong Kong, everywhere else feels equally unfamiliar, the most familiar place is always here.” At the end of the interview, she, who calls herself “Heart Wild,” said that there are many plans for the future that are still brewing, for now, she will keep it a secret.
Life is long, and it is not easy to find something worth looking forward to in this generation. I hope that Sharon will continue to carry this ambition in her artistic creation and gallery development in the future, creating a brilliant era of Hong Kong art together.
Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Editor: Ruby Yiu
Videography: Andy Lee, Joyce Che
Photography: Vicky Wai , Andy Lee
Video Editor: Andy Lee
Designer: Edwina Chan
Location: SC Gallery
Special Thanks: Sharon Cheung
Artworks: Chan Wai Lap, Frank Tang, Ho Sin Tung, Lau Yin Yeung, Tobe Kan, Yau Kwok Keung
