Research/ preparation for interview

Artist: Au Hoi Lam

AU Hoi Lam is a local artist. Her works are labour of love and craftsmanship, infused with her unique sensibilities and passions, and integrating minute details into a unified whole. Perhaps, like life itself, her paintings are best to be savoured and pondered over, instead of being analyzed in a rational manner. Her works are collected by Hong Kong Museum of Art and private collectors. 

Background:
2009 Master of Philosophy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2004‐2008 Established studio Tone Quarters in Fo Tan, Hong Kong
2004 Master of Fine Arts, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2002 Received Alexandre Yersin Excellence Scholarship from Consulat 
         Général de France à HongKong. Studied at Ecole Supérieure des 
          Beaux‐arts du Mans, France
2001 Bachelor of Arts with Honours, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Major in  Fine Arts,  Minor in Philosophy )
Awards:
2001 Ramon Woon Creative Prize
2001 Hui’s Fine Arts Awards – Painting                                                                                                                     

2000 Nokia Arts Awards ‐ Asia Pacific 2000 – Finalist                              The perfect circle Qiang: Fotanian Open Studio 2013
2000 Cheng’s Fines Arts Awards ‐ Painting

Recent exhibitions:
2012 Fotanian Open Studios 2012, Qiáng (Fo Tan, Hong Kong)
2010 Definitions of Time: Paintings by Au Hoi lam (Edge Gallery, Hong Kong)
        Au Hoi Lam Reading Room (Muji Atelier, Hong Kong 2010)
        Lui Chun Kwong exhibition You Are Here, I am not. (Osage Kwun Tong, 
        Hong Kong )
2007 Reversing Horizons: Artist Reflections of the Hong Kong Handover 10th 
         Anniversary (MOCA Shanghai, China)
2006 When Words are Sweet: Paintings by Au Hoi Lam (Central Library, 
         Hong Kong)   

As I have chosen Au Hoi Lam as my interviewer, I found her works inspiring and unique. With references in both the exhibition Fotanian Open Studio 2013 and Osage Kwun Tong, I found her artworks have strong attraction to me. 

Here comes with parts of her artworks.

Artwork in The perfect Circle: Qiang- Fotanian Open Studio 2013 

   

If only there were no lies 11.11.2011《Osage Kwun Tong》

Work chosen: If only there were no lies 11.11.2011《Osage Kwun Tong》

Theme of the art work

It's the ideal and private studying corner of Au Hoi Lam. While she reflect and express her own feeling on this artwork. It is like the reminder or evidence that lies she had told in the past, every single day she keeps telling lies.

She mentioned she has tried to tell the truth through her paintings for 11 years. However, it's rather contradictory at the same time she tried to hide truth and told lies. She made this work to reminisce the days she had lied, to desire for a place with no more lies. Which is, what she want to own in real life. 

In other works of Au Hoi Lam, she treats art creating as a way to caring for oneself and stay vigilant. Her works are always around our daily life and scrutinize the relations between herself and the world, to reflect and to introspect.

Form of the art work

This artwork is an installation with combination of paintings, interior decoration and kind of scrapbook works.

And it's the collaboration with Au Hoi Lam's teacher Mr. Lui Chun Kwong. The strip painting 'LUI's painting Landscape No.0722' has turned into a new work of art. Where Au Hoi Lam cut it up to 4212 fragments and modified to a new picture.

Besides, Au Hoi Lam's works are all almost paintings. 

Medium of the art work

The installation carries various medium, like paintings, scarpbook and drawings etc. And it can be say the mixed media as medium. Every single parts of the installation can be separated and regard them as one particular work. We have Acrylic on canvas, pencil drawing on paper and mixed media like carved drawing on wooden desk and painting fragments in frames as decoration.

Background and believes of the artist 

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Au Hoi-lam graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Au taught in the Fine Arts Department at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2004-2005. She also studied at Ecole Supereure des Beaux-arts du Mans in France in 2001.

She has insisted on painting as medium in her works. She treats painting as her own confession to herself. Her paintings life is intertwined inseparably with her own introspection. She recalls what she has experienced and reviewed what she have dreamed of when She paints. To the audience, it's just a painting. However, everyone can have their own interpretation with their own experiences.

Characteristic of art work

Au Hoi Lam focuses entirely on paintings. Her delicate paintings are often described as girly. Characteristics of Au’s paintings include faded, pale colors and human figures that resemble children’s doodles.Though her work appears childish at first glance, it's actually a kind of perfection in details with the attention. 

An idea of self-introspection is brought by the artworks of Au Hoi Lam. Her works are about time, past, days and  life. It is like telling people to ask themselves question, to stay true to oneself. 

Reflection of me

I am impressed by the works of Au Hoi Lam. For me, I have passion in literacy, words. I like DIY like scrapbook and also decoration in details. I am attracted towards the pastel color and girly style. It is not very common in Hong Kong artists. This specific style is rather interesting and unique. I appreciate how she expresses her feelings in artworks, and insists on her own style and ideas.

In my interpretation of her works, I found it's somehow indifferent of how she thinks. The work If only there were no lies 11.11.2011《Osage Kwun Tong》does not have the meaning of lies and truth to me. When I first glanced at the work, I found it's a dreamy and girly working corner. And I was like exploring on the desk, I saw scrapbook works and the little envelopes. They are like memories to me. I felt like collection of memories, being collected and grouped together. This is like a corner of memories. The faded color means 'past' to me. In general, the work is a place for review old dreams, to relive past experiences.

I think mixed media is an interesting medium to use in artworks. There is contradiction between them but in meanwhile the mediums are well-combined, making the artwork more unique and strengthen  the expression. Many effects can be achieved by using mixed media. Trend new objects can be used in conjunction with traditional artist media. In this manner, many different elements of art become more flexible than with traditional artist media.

Interview Questions:

1. Few artists in Hong Kong concentrates exclusively on painting,Why do you choose to focus on this medium?

2. What are the factors that make you became a artist?Is there anyone who affect you?

3. How do you usually find inspiration for your artworks?

4. Most of your works are girly in style, are there any special reasons for it?

5. I found some of the human figures in your works are like doodling, why?

6. Have you receive any opinion about your drawing style? 

7. What do you think of this particular drawing style? Do you think it's a obstacle to your career? 

8.  Is Artist's life related to her/his art? What art means to you?

9. It's like you prefer using fabric like linen and cotton, instead of traditional medium. Why?

10. Time and life is the main theme of your works. Is there any experience for that?

11. What you want to express by dimmed color?

http://www.facebook.com/qiang.fotan
Qiang(薔)- Studio of Au Hoi Lam
http://osagegallery.com/Artists/Bio/Bio_1497.pdf
Biography of Au Hoi Lam
http://www.artslant.com/cn/articles/show/16237

At the End of the Rainbow by Robin Peckham
Review on 2010 Definitions of Time: Paintings by Au Hoi lam (Edge Gallery, Hong Kong)
www.osagegallery.com
Osage homepage