Artist Statement

Artist Satement

Through my artwork, I delve into the intricate interplay of history, identity, gender issues, the unconscious, and reality as perceived through various states of consciousness. My creative practice encompasses painting, assemblage, and installation, allowing me to explore these themes from different perspectives.

In my paintings, I embark on a visual journey into the history and identity of the people of Hong Kong. Drawing inspiration from the rich cultural tapestry and complex narratives of this vibrant city, I seek to capture the essence of its collective memory. By intertwining historical references, personal experiences, and symbolic imagery, I aim to evoke a sense of connection, reflection, and dialogue within myself, and with the viewer. Physiognomy, with its cultural and historical significance, encompasses the interpretation of personality, character, and even destiny based on facial features. The absence of facial details in my silhouette images deliberately strips away emotional and identity-based inferences. Instead, costume becomes the sole visual language. By combining elements of period European fashion and traditional Chinese costume, my work does not merely illustrate a combination of the cultures that abound in Hong Kong, but specifies the paradox of constructing void identities.

In “reVisit Chinoiserie,” the silhouette figures are painted on a pair of Chinoiserie-theme panels. Chinoiserie is the evocation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, furniture, and architecture, especially in the 18th century. Chinoiserie has become a discipline in its own right. As a separate art form, it can reinforce and strengthen the stand-alone value of its Eastern and Western portions. Hong Kong is a place of continuous transition and cultural amalgamation. Just as Chinoiserie has emerged with its own distinctive character, so to the people of Hong Kong struggle to create an individuality, originality, and identity of their own, stronger and more vital as a union fashioned from their diversity.

Simultaneously, utilizing the structural and metaphoric potential of found objects, materials, and spatial elements in my installations and assemblages, I seek to unveil hidden narratives, challenge sociopolitical matter, and provoke thought. By merging the historical and the personal, the conscious and the unconscious, I aim to foster a deeper understanding of our own sense of self, the complexities of reality, and the fluidity of identity.

- Annysa Ng