Housing in Hong Kong
Tong Lau, Private Housing and Public Housing
2017
Bronze and Brass Casting and Blackening
Set of 3: 3.8cm x 1.5cm x 2.5 cm (Tong Lau)
3cm x 1.5cm x 4cm (Private Housing)
3.8cm x 2cm x 3cm (Public Housing)
As the title implies that this series of work was inspired by the housing in Hong Kong, one of a high-density city in the world. Tong Lau is a type of residential-commercial buildings of the 1950s and 1960s vintage represents the expression of local Chinese pragmatism and expediency in the economic austerity of early postwar decades. Public Housing and Private Housing recorded the housing policy amplify from the British Administration. The ordered chaos of different types of housing has given urban Hong Kong its endearing quality.
The rings were cast with the lost wax casting in bronze, further modify by brass sheets and tubes afterward. At the front view of those rings, the characters of those housing have been captured, like the canopy from Tong Lau, a concise outlook from Private Housing, and arrangement of air conditioner and hanger from Public Housing. Also, the audience is able to see overlap effects created by layers of the surface. At the side view of the rings are able to see the distance of the surfaces of each ring, which used to represent the density and perception of those specific types of housing in the city. Simply window patterns were sawed on sides to fit in the ring design. Also, bronze and brass have been cohesive after blackening by potassium sulfide.
The architecture reflects the living conditions and attitude of people in an area. As a Hong Kong-based artist, I inspired by local culture and try to permeate it in my creations. Buildings surrounding me are an important part of history and culture, which entrusted with memories and emotions. Cultural identity, social conditioning, and experience proof out self-image. These are aspects of the personality that are most clearly reflected by the things we wear, so I used jewelry to present the idea.