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EVENT DESCRIPTION
Reo Ma (b. 1992) manifests his ideas via creative impulses and a lack of inhibitions. Without any formal art training, he approaches art-making like an inventor, experimenting with materials and techniques as he learns through blunders and mistakes. On view at Rossi & Rossi Hong Kong from 27 July to 14 September, Ma’s first solo exhibition, gok3/gaau3, features multimedia assemblages and installations that weave themes of childhood, identity and the tension between the individual and the group. The presentation’s title refers to the romanisation of the Chinese word 覺, with gok3 meaning ‘awakening’ and gaau3 denoting ‘slumber’.
Working with rusting metal, rough wood and leather scraps, Ma does not shy away from disclosing his personal history while probing at the insecurities of others. Binding together scavenged pieces with visible metal screws and nails, Ma preempts his finished works by presenting the raw process of making them.
ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER
Reo Ma’s creativity has free rein in the myriad of mediums and materials with which he works. With a background in fashion design, the Hong Kong native (b. 1992) has an affinity for hands-on production: he welds metal, moulds concrete and dismantles vehicles, all skills he taught himself. His sculptural objects thus take on a raw, unrefined visual quality that reflects the spontaneity and immediacy of his art-making. He also draws from his personal experiences – not only for context, but to provoke questions about collective standards.In 2021, Ma initiated War on Culture, a pseudonym that anyone can take on as long as they create works against the homogenisation of culture. In the fashion of guerrilla art, he has been putting up sculptural works since 2021 in the streets of Hong Kong, London and Paris.
