Tag Archives: Arts

BWing à Hong Kong!

– J’ai besoin de dessiner, toute la nuit. Je pense que tout est centré sur moi.

Coca Light dans le Wan Chai hype. Café lecture au design épuré orange et blanc, mitoyen de la galerie Agnès b : yeah we are in Hong Kong baby !

 – Agnès b est très très intelligente. Jusqu’en 2005, elle a présenté mon travail dans ses différentes galeries : Hong Kong, Taïwan, Japon. A chaque expo, des œuvres différentes.

D’abord un rien méfiante, regard noir pénétrant, sans concession, la ténébreuse Bwing : artiste rare, dessinatrice photographe hong kongaise. « Almost famous » comme elle se définit. Avec un premier livre de ses œuvres qui s’est classé deuxième dans les ventes toutes catégories confondues ! Bel exploit dans une ville qui n’est pas réputée pour sa passion de l’art ! Luv you HK!

– J’ai besoin de me vider l’esprit. Je suis allée m’allonger sur la plage en regardant le ciel. Tout ce qui vient du ciel est fantastique.

J’acquiesce, les yeux levés vers le ciel bleu azur, exceptionnelle luminosité, le type de lumière d’un L.A. sans fog, morcelé par la forêt de tours très seventies. Comme enserré par des griffes de béton. J’écoute Bwing presque religieusement : elle n’aime pas parler, c’est pour ça qu’elle dessine. Logique.

– J’aime le silence. Il y a trop de choses et de bruits. Hong Kong est stressant : un trop petit endroit, pas facile à vivre.

J’écoute ses silences :

– Je vis sous pression en permanence.

Je feuillète le petit bouquin – cartes postales de ses dessins pour enfants. A la fois désuet par le format et précieux par le contenu. Le trait est noir nerveux, ponctué de tâches de couleur, l’univers est assez sombre, empli d’un humour décalé. J’aime. L’objet est rare. Moderne et intemporel. L’interroge si ce n’est pas un peu trop dur pour les enfants. La réponse fuse :

– J’aime les enfants. Mes dessins sont une stimulation pour les enfants.

Elle s’illumine, le geste est ample, le regard pétille, elle s’explique sur ses petits personnages qui flottent foisonnent dans des décors brumeux :  

– C’est arrivé un jour, comme ça! Je suis devenue schizo. Il y a toujours deux “moi” qui poursuivent mon troisième moi. Je pense que j’ai besoin d’un bon médecin! (rires) Le gros problème à Hong Kong: les gens se prennent très au sérieux, c’est aussi ce que je montre dans mes dessins. 

Etudes d’Art en Angleterre, où elle apprend le français. Logique. De Paris :

– I don’t like the crap on the street.

Dommage. L’humour est caustique incisif, parisien : Bwing n’aime pas. Point. Une devise:  « If you don’t want to be perfect, you’ve come to the right place », le titre de son bouquin. J’adore, j’adore, j’adore ! Retour à HK en 96 comme graphic designer. En 2002, elle contacte la Galerie Agnès b de Hong Kong et six mois plus tard, reçoit une réponse positive. Mon regard s’attarde sur la coupe impeccable de sa chemise d’homme. Funny, depuis le début, je lui trouvais du style, du minimaliste chic emprunté au répertoire masculin plus européen que japonais, intemporel comme ses dessins. Ok : elle a aussi bossé dans un bureau de style, comme quoi…Une question me titille, j’ai reconnu la chemise, du genre de celles que je portais au lycée :

– Du Agnès b ?

http://www.bugly.biz

Autres articles : DESTINATIONS & INTERVIEWS 

 

 

BWing from Hong Kong baby!

– Drawing is my necessity. I need to draw all the night. I think it’s all about myself.

An orange and white design café in the trendy side of Wan Chai, near Agnès b gallery: yeah we are in Hong Kong baby!

– Agnès b is really really smart. She put my work in her different galleries in Asia: Hong Kong, Taïwan, Japan. All exhibitions, with different works, till 2005.

Sat in front of me, a bit suspicious first, a penetrating black look without any concession: Bwing, the hong kongese enigmatic artist, a super talented graphic designer and photographer. « Almost famous » as she says. Her first book was a best seller. Great archievement in Hong Kong!

– I need to clear up my mind. I went to lay down the beach looking at the sky. Everything from the sky is amazing.

I agree. I look up at the incredible blue sky, with a great brightness, the L.A. kind of light when it’s not foggy. Here with a forest of several seventies towers in the foreground. I religiously listen to Bwing: she doesn’t like speaking, that’s why she draws. Logical.

– I like the sound of the silence. There are too many stuff and noise. Hong Kong is a pressure: too small place, not easy to live.

Now I’m listing to her silence.

– I live under pressure all the time.

I leaf through the precious small book (postcard sized) of her draws for children. The line is black and nervous, with colour stains. The universe is quite dark, with a special sense of humour. I really like it. Modern and timeless. I’m asking her if it’s not a beat too hard for children?

 – I love children. My draws are like a stimulation for children.

Sweeping gesture and bubbly eyes, she lights up explaining her small characters: 

– One day it happens. I got schizophrenic. Always two of myself cheasing around the three. I think I need a doctor! (laugh). Most of the problem is the Hong Kong people take themselves seriously and I express it in my draws.

Studies of Fine Arts in England, where she learns French. Logical. About Paris:

– I don’t like the crap on the street.

A caustic sense of humour, so Paris: BWing doesn’t like many things. Dot. The title of her book: “If you don’t want to be perfect, you’ve come to the right place” sounds like a motto. Great! Back to Hong Kong in 96, as a graphic designer. In 2002, she gets in touch with the Hong Kong Agnès b’s gallery. And six months later, she receives an affirmative answer. Funny from the beginning of the meeting, I’ve found her a chic minimalist style, timeless like in her draws. And guess what? She also worked in fashion. I have one stupid question, I’ve recognised the same shirt I wore in high school :

– Are you wearing Agnès b ?

http://www.bugly.biz

 Thanks K to make it happens!

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & INTERVIEWS

 

 

“A Vain Life”, Solo Exhibition of Yangfan

Wow ! A bitter sweet candy! Do you wanna taste it? You knew it, didn’t you? Let me introduce you one of my first Chinese contemporary art crush. On the red brick wall of the 798, the Beijing hugh factory of Chinese contemporary art (next article) : a colourful poster of a young and lovely girl that strikes the pose in an acid pink background. Between Manga and trendy magazines, the style of the painting is very simple and childish. Yeah, a sweet pink candie, with a bit of lemon!Few days later : I meet Yangfan. Boy or girl? The painter doesn’t speak English and I don’t understand Mandarin: lost in translation? Fortunately, there is the blessed Jenny, the Linda Gallery assistant where Yangfan exhibits. Thanks Jen!

You got it baby ! Yangfan is a girl. And she paints girls. A light “Sex in the city” influence: in girl speech, girls talk about girls as well speaking to everybody. In the gallery, men look at the paintings carefully. The refined Yangfan shows the sensitive part of those girls. They are beautiful, look like innocent and hype, but they miss life. Her message: describing those fashion girls. They became one of today Chinese society symbols.

– Today, there is a lack of spirituality, we let spiritual things.

Her painting expresses a kind of depressive feeling, between soulful sadness, happiness and questions about life:

– Those girls have more freedom, but it happened very quickly and now they are single and alone.

Yangfan’s painted for ten years and she is also a university professor of painting:

– After school, I was wondering how to become an artist? And at this time, I had the idea to pay attention of the last generations of women and their future.

The way she works : daytime for painting and nights to look at people, their way to talk, move, their clothes.

– I imagine their work and I create short fashion stories. I’m also a fashion designer for fun.Besides the clothes of her depressive smooth characters came from her imagination.

The future: always painting. Cotton sculptures, of girls course. And for next year, unique dolls with Chinese traditional details for a gallery exhibition. Finally sometimes, trendy girls can live something else than “a vain solo life”. The proof, the successful Yangfan is not single and not alone.

Related posts : INTERVIEWS & DESTINATIONS