EVENT DESCRIPTION
Wangsim is pleased to present the solo exhibition of Hong Kong based artist Chow Ciao Chow, Pink Melting in Blue, Blue Melting in Yellow, Yellow Melting in Red, marking his second collaboration with Wangsim. The presentation places a collection of fifteen most recent works by Chow on display. Five of the exhibited works are from the artist’s self-portrait series, and ten are from his My Sunshine is Crying series.
The self-taught, expressive if not lyrical painter has always fixated on how melting of the colours can convey emotionality. With a bright, saturated color palette, Chow’s iconic self-portraits which usually depict—despite varied amounts of tear in fictional context, a uniformed, cathartic cry, the most notable feature is the use of acrylic mixed with water to create dynamic, associative effects of color—Chow’s attempt to search for the overlap of mood and atmosphere.
One of the new works from the series, titled I’m Crying with My Heavy Makeup and My Beautiful Cherry Qipao, was created in Berlin where the artist worked in his partner’s studio. Depicting a crying self in drag with a form-fitting traditional outfit, the work suggests a progressively prominent cultural consciousness while highlighting the artist’s use of his creation to catalyze change and openness towards queer culture in Hong Kong.
A Sunshine is Helping Another Sunshine Out to Get the Tears Out and A Happy Sun’s Flower & Tear represent the first time the artist incorporated the motif of leaves into Your Sunshine is Crying series. Vine-like limbs with leaves pattern reaching out to a singular, crystalized tear suggests—with assertiveness—an ongoing reevaluation of internal anxiety, identity and role.
ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER
Chow Ciao Chow is a Hong Kong based visual artist. Chow began his career with an extensive history in fashion design where he worked many years after first earning his degree in fashion and textiles. After leaving the industry in 2014, Chow co-founded the experimental space Mum’s Not Home in Hong Kong’s dynamic Yau Ma Tei area. In Mum’s Not Home, he began his full-time career as an artist. Chow experimented painting faces using different colours for different personalities. The results can be compared to colorful make-up or infrared thermal images. Using bold strokes of watercolor and acrylic paint, Chow’s skilled and steady hand beautifully blends his vibrant colors and captures a likeness impeccably.
Chow has participated in solo and group presentations in Hong Kong, Germany, and the United States. Chow was involved in numerous collaborations with leading lifestyle and retail brands such as Lane Crawford, Casetify and Versace. In 2022, his mural from Your Sunshine is Crying series was part of the COS Pride Month campaign. His works have been involved in permanent collections across the globe.
