Fabrik Contemporary Art

Lam Yau Sum

Lam Yau Sum graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) in 2010, majoring in painting.

Life forms, forests and cityscapes are the elements that are commonly found in Lam’s work, with an evolution recently of his unique and creative visual presentation amongst his work. Using the circuit on an electric board as a foundation, Sum has developed an extraordinary technique of painting, represented by the very fine lines on the board. The skillful play of lines on a two, as well as three-dimensional space, delivers a lingering craft between the abstract and the figurative.

Lam had his first solo exhibition in Artist Commune in 2011 titled “LAM Yau Sum Solo Exhibition”. He had another solo exhibition in the same year named “Electron Landscape” in White Tube. Lam has also participated in International Art Exhibitions including Hong Kong International Art Fair 2011, Art Asia Miami 2010 and Fine Art Asia 2010. He has exhibited in several group exhibitions, including “9+2 Young Local Artists Exhibition” in K11; “Beautiful Journey, Beautiful World” in West Kowloon Cultural District; “Pictured Landscapes: A moment in time” and “NEW” in White Tube; “Vision”, a Hong Kong Contemporary Art Exhibition & Hong Kong Cancer Fund Charity Auction.

Lam Yau Sum recently won the “New Trend Award” in the exhibition of “New Trend 2010” at Artist Commune.

Canson Lau

Canson Lau was born in Hong Kong and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Photography from RMIT University.

In his work, Lau has been exploring the question between physical vision and introvert illusion through the application of contemporary photography. Lau also represents the Chinese culture and contemporary society with his own artistic language.

In 2006, Lau received a Diploma in Fine Art from the Hong Kong Art School, and was awarded the “Best Artwork Award”. His work won recognition as “Selected Entry for Hong Kong” in “Olympic Sport and Art Contest 2008 (Hong Kong Region)” and represented Hong Kong in the international phase contest held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Art in LegCo, the Hong Kong Legislative Council, has collected his “Heaven” series of works.

This body of work was inspired by the perception of heaven. Lau researched images and evolved a selection of images to become one, with an element of fantasy.

His works are exhibited in South China Normal University, Artist Commune in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Art Centre.

Apart from his major, Canson Lau is exploring video artworks.

Tang Ying Mui, Grace

Tang graduated with a BA Honors, majoring in fine arts from Goldsmiths College and a MSC from the University of Westminster, United Kingdom. Tang lived in London for more than ten years and is currently working as an artist in Hong Kong.

Tang’s work is devoid of technology, using simple exprssion and material ( from wire and packaging tape to plastic wrapped wire and textile fur) from industry to build up works and explores the fragile condition of human existence, also the external and internal boundaries built around people.

She is currently working on a project called “ A call from a prehistoric time”. She uses the four basic elements in living: clothing, food, shelter and mobility, to explore the contemporary living and structures in society in our modern age.

Tang had her first solo exhibition in 2011, titled “Recycle Destinies”. She has also joined numerous group exhibitions, including “Pusan World Open Art Festival” and “The 7th Gongju International Art Festival 2010” in South Korea ; “Macau Direct Flight Destinations Trade and Cultural Expo” in Macau; “The Thirteen Stories of Portable Art” in Shanghai and “WINDOW PROJECT” in Canada. Her works also have been exhibitied in various spaces in Hong Kong, including the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong Art Centre, JCCAC and Cattle Depot Artist Village.

Grace Tang’s creative works always draw attention from local media. She has seen coverage by RTHK, SCMP, Ming Pao Daily, Sing Tao Daily, Hong Kong Economic Times, I-Cable and numerous other media in print and online.

A fulltime artist Tang’s studio is in JCCAC.

Free Run

Kako Peco

Apr 11 - Apr 29, 2012

Fabrik is pleased to announce the second solo exhibition of Kako Peco. Known for her distinct style of drip figurative painting, Kako will be presenting 8 new works on industrial cardboard mounted on each side of the gallery.

“I have always been interested in the fluidity of material in my subjects knowing that there is an inherent energy to it. It’s an investigation of different angles representing movement and freedom. I want to create a narrative where the subject experiences various forms of unexpected displacement and goes through different states.”

Born in 1987, Kako Peco graduated from the Hong Kong Art School and finished with a Higher Diploma in Fine Art in 2008. She has participated in various group shows in Hong Kong including the Daily Preview Exhibition at the White Tube Gallery in 2008. In 2010, her works had been shown at the Fotan Artist Open Studios and the Youth Visual Arts Exhibition at the Hong Kong Central Library. Her works have been shown at the Harumi MOMOSE Exhibition by Gallery Uehara in Tokyo and “A Moving Exhibition” held at different galleries from Bethnal Green to Battersea in London. Recently, she joined a group exhibition with MANETAMED, a gallery in Brooklyn, New York.

Kako Peco is our second artist to show under Fabrik8 fabrik8


This event is sponsored by Lucky Beer.

Sim Chan *

Sim Chan is a Chinese artist who lives and works in Hong Kong. He has been exploring visual art and digital media to measure and reflect on the world and the city in which he lives since his graduation in Fine Arts from Hong Kong Art School in 2008 . Chan's work is a tangible expression of the desire to unlock and blur boundaries of forms within the city. At times, these boundaries are expressed in the silence of bright colors or in the boldness of lines, shapes and symbols within obscured borders and boundaries.

Sim Chan is specifically interested in the concept of restrictions, limitations and possibilities encountered in everyday life. His visual representations are a rigorous resistance against these restraints. His work often presents views of life, including the contemporary social issues of living in Hong Kong - limited spaces, limited skies. In the “Sim Sky” series, he delicately frames and measures the percentage of visible skies that might otherwise be too invisible or too obscured to be noticed.

Sim Chan has his first solo exhibition in 2011, titled " [KŌNG] ² - Sim Chan Solo Exhibition". He has participated numerous international group exhibitions including "ART FAIR TOKYO 2011" ; "Chinese 20th Century and Contemporary Art Autumn Auction 2010"; "ShContemporary 2010"in Shanghai and “The Trail of Time”in Thailand. He also took part in joint exhibition in Hong Kong: "VISION" Hong Kong Contemporary Art Exhibition & Hong Kong Cancer Fund Charity Auction; "3 IN 1- An exhibition by Pabro "; "Invitational Exhibition for HK Young Artist" and "1st Hong Kong Contemporary Arts Honors Show & Charity Auction 2009". He has continuously joined "Fotan Artist Open Studios” from 2008 to 2012.

Sim Chan has been awarded by Selected Finalist of Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2011, [Starlight Hong Kong] Outstanding Artist Grand Award and the Best Artwork Award in Painting in Hong Kong Art School.

2012

Merit Award, 1st Hong Kong Oil Painting Competition 2012

Hong Kong Oil Painting Research Society



2011

Selected Finalist of Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2011

The Sovereign Asian Art Foundation


2009


[Starlight Hong Kong] Outstanding Artist Grand Award
1st HK Contemporary Arts Honor



2008

Best Artwork Award in Painting
Hong Kong Art School

Daniel dela Cruz

Born in 1966 in Metro Manila, Daniel de la Cruz had been expected to take up and practice medicine or law. Reluctant to pursue such expectations wholeheartedly, he worked in a gift and décor export company as a product designer creating small gifts and Christmas décor designs. His journey to becoming an artist and sculptor seemed fated. His job proved life changing as he soon found freedom of expression in this new setting. Pursuing his childhood hobby of sculpting, Daniel, due to his creativity, coupled with discipline and perseverance in his work, became the leading product designer in the same company, and ultimately a full partner and its president. He became well known for his designs and his expert use of diverse materials, with his products distributed under the trademark Daniel de la Cruz © in the United States, as well as in Canada and in Europe. He is also the first Filipino designer to develop ceramic collections for the prestigious Villeroy and Boch in Germany. In 2006, at the age of 39, Daniel de la Cruz ventured beyond the world of product design and manufacturing, where he is an unmitigated success, into the world of art. Since then he has been very prolific. It was in August of the following year that he mounted his first solo exhibition, Kandungan, which served as a tribute to women. This was soon followed by Parangal, a tribute to Christ, which was mounted in April 2008 and a third solo exhibit held in September 2008 at the Ayala Museum, entitled Himig, a celebration of women through sculpture. Recently concluded is his 4th solo exhibit in the Philippines entitled Passage, held at the Ayala Museum on In between those exhibitions, Daniel de la Cruz also participated in group shows, such as Forces of Form 3rd Annual Sculpture Review and the 4th Annual Sculpture.

Review
in 2007 and 2008 respectively, and where this new artist exhibited alongside esteemed Filipino sculptors. Daniel received a Gold medal for the “Festival of Nativities” held in Rome in December of 2008. This yearly exposition held in Rome features Nativity sculptures and designs from 5 continents which compete for the coveted prize.

He has since had more exhibits and has recently concluded a sold-out show in Singapore in 2009.

Vaan Ip

Born in 1984, Vaan Ip graduated in Fine Arts from Hong Kong Art School. Working in ink, his style is unique, presenting his view of cityscapes. He is increasingly recognized and has won the attention of private art collectors who have accumulated his key works.

Ip explores the relationship among people, himself and his home city Hong Kong. His paintings intersect with his sense of the city and his childhood memories. The works not only convey the artist’s feelings, but resonate with his audience. Ip’s visual elements depict the characteristics of a crowded city – both unity and structure. Also, he encourages the audience to reflect on the idea of space in all its forms.

In the “Lost City” series, he reduces the size of the densely populated city. The audience can observe the crowded city though the third person. Ip’s works are spiritual, providing a dimension for imagination. For the observer an empty silence and freedom. He moves his audience from gritty reality, to find utopia.

In 2009, Ip had his first solo exhibition in Hong Kong titled “Finding Neverland”. He enlarged the characters, but reduced the city size in the works, leading the audience to search for neverland.

The artist has also exhibited in several group exhibitions, including “Art Fair Tokyo 2011 in Japan”; “3 IN 1 – An Exhibition by Pabro” in 2010; “Magical Summer”; “The moon gazed at you - You gaze at it too”; “Fill in the blank”; “Childhood Memories”, “Former Central School Envisioning Days” in Hong Kong 2009. Also, the “Trail Of Time Exhibition” in Bangkok 2009.

Vaan Ip has also participated in the Fotan Artist Open Studios 2008 and 2011, and is recognized for his public installations.

Kako Peco

Born in 1987, Kako Peco graduated from the Hong Kong Art School and finished with a higher diploma in Fine Art in 2008. She has particated in various groups shows in Hong Kong including the Daily Preview Exhibition at the White Tube Gallery in 2008. In 2010, her works have been shown at the Fotan Artist Open Studios and the Youth Visual Arts Exhibition at the Hong Kong Central Library. Her works have been chosen to be shown in the Harumi MOMOSE Exhibition by Gallery Uehara in Tokyo. Recently, her works were chosen to be shown in “A Moving Exhibition” held at different galleries from Bethnal Green to Battersea in London.

Ronald Ventura

Born in 1973, Ronald Ventura is one of the most acclaimed contemporary artists from the Philippines. He has garnered significant international attention in recent years and now ranks among the leading younger artists in Southeast Asia.

Throughout his career, Ronald Ventura has always approached the empty canvas with an inquiring mind. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Painting degree at the royal and pontifical University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila in 1993. His first solo exhibition, All Souls Day in 2001, attracted attention for his magnificent nudes, ivory-skinned with rich tones from dark grays and sepias to luminous whites, in a setting of urban decay. From then on, he has participated in numerous solo as well as group exhibitions including the Asian International Art Exhibition (AIAE) at Fukuoka Art Museum in 2004. He received a prestigious studio residency grant in Sydney, Australia from the Ateneo Art Gallery in 2005.

His landmark 2005 show, titled Human Study, at the Art Center in Metro Manila featured paintings and sculptures that refer to the contemporary hell in which humans live: soldiers in perpetual warfare, commodification and religious emotionalism. He mapped out the corporeal in his 2008 show at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Museum, laying the groundwork for an investigation of the commodification of the human body, paranoia and religious consciousness in modern societies.

No matter the visual twists and turns of his opuses, every exhibit is an outgrowth of the preceding one. Every image is a takeoff point for the next. All are nocturnal preludes. Ventura’sZoomanities series of small sculptures portray a battalion of mutant-men assemblages waging war on preconceived notions of what sculpture is and what sculpture shouldn’t be. TheZoomanities sculptures, in fiberglass and fiberglass-resin, include a series of distorted animal and human form.

The artist noticed how animals are used in defining moral conduct. Ventura’s Zoomanities are confrontational, and an inquiry on how men have stereotyped other men by using beastly metaphors. Ventura explains, If you’re scared, you’re chicken, or if you’re bad, you’re a black sheep. If a person behaves badly, somebody would tell that person, you’re an animal! What I did inZoomanities was to fiddle with those images handed down from generation to generation.

Inside Out

Sim Chan and Vaan Ip

Mar 01 - Mar 22, 2012
Fabrik is pleased to announce ‘Inside Out’ , an exhibition of new paintings by local Hong Kong artists Sim Chan and Vaan Ip. Over the past years, Sim and Vaan have developed two distinctive visual languages of urbanism and architecture engaging the viewers with their calculated, intricate and complex qualities. The exhibition brings together a body of new work that will be mounted by both artists complementing each side of the gallery.


“Although our works are different, our concept and direction are similar. We both desire to find a common ground in the city where one finds a physical respite while the other obtains a more metaphysical approach beyond city living.”


Sim Chan will present 7 works on manipulated and irregularly shaped canvas showing his technical skill on rigorously exact calculation and rendering of his subject. His work involves transforming each frame as a reflection of how a city changes, how it affects nature and social conditions as a result of living in restricted spaces.

Vaan Ip’s works, on the other hand, relate from a third person point of view with a less aggressive approach in his investigations of the city. This is characteristic of his work where the viewer escapes reality by being the observer and inadvertently creating a space to think about the state of things as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.

The exhibition will include 13 canvases and a joint installation from both artists.

Born in 1987, Sim Chan had his first solo exhibition in 2011, entitled [KONG] ² and has participated in numerous international group exhibitions including “The Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2011 Finalists’ Exhibition" in Singapore, "Chinese 20th Century and Contemporary Art Autumn Auction 2010" in Beijing, "ShContemporary 2010" at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre and "Here, there, where? - Dual Exhibition of Sim Chan, Sun Yu" with FQProject Gallery in Shanghai. In 2011, his works were exhibited at the ART FAIR TOKYO and participated in "VISION", a Hong Kong Contemporary Art Exhibition & Hong Kong Cancer Fund Charity Auction at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong.

Born in 1984, Vaan Ip graduated from Hong Kong Art School with a Higher Diploma in Fine Art and had his first solo exhibition in Hong Kong called “Finding Neverland" at Shin Hwa Gallery in Hong Kong. He has participated in international group exhibitions such as “Trail Of the Time Exhibition” in Bangkok and at the ART FAIR TOKYO in 2011 where his works were presented together with Sim Chan. Since art school Sim and Vaan have had several joint exhibitions locally and have participated in Fotan Artist Open Studios since 2008.



This event is sponsored by Lucky Beer, Paradise Mango Rum, T's Kitchen.