PAINTING & ME
My painting is my own confession to myself. I show you but my paintings, not my confession.
My painting life is intertwined inseparably with my own introspection. When I paint, I’d like to recall what I have experienced, reviewed what I have dreamt of, remembered what has come to pass, thought fondly of those I love, mourned what has become no more, summoned my joys and griefs, and scrutinized what has affected and disturbed my body and soul. All these thoughts and feelings are transformed into traces, colours, textures and images on my canvas –they have become a visual representation crystallized on palpable material, written by my own body and soul. My paintings offer me an opportunity to reflect on my own sensibilities towards life, a constant reminder that alternates between a gentle caress and a weak sting. They are a personal life memorandum for me.
Sometimes I paint like an obedient student who dutifully copies down all the specific vocabulary that must be memorized; sometimes I paint like a passionate lover who obsessively repeats the name of her loved one incessantly. Sometimes I want to leave casual fragments of notes and drafts; sometimes I am building up models of idealized dreams. I long to see my own traces in my paintings, and I want my desires to take shape on the canvas . My paintings could bring me to memories long gone and to dreams yet to be realized. In painting, I have found the only medium for me to express myself in complete ease and freedom, and to record all the minute details of my daily experiences. Through painting, I feel alive.
If there is a story in my painting, it is but a monologue on a painter’s fragmentary thoughts and feelings. I have only a series of simple paintings to offer. There are no unifying themes, overriding concepts or logical explanations in my art. I resent the dominance of concepts in the process of creativity. Even as I set down my own perimeters of the visual representation of art, I feel the pressure of its suffocating confines.
I need a venue for my own confession. I need a medium for self-expression. I need immediate action to crystallize the original sensibilities. My painting is the cumulative total of the above needs and processes.
AU Hoi Lam
Summer, May 2004
Doing art is a way of caring oneself, in order to keep one stays vigilant. The process of doing art is an exercise of clearing the distracting thoughts in my mind. The gesture of this clearing process or its traces is the result of doing art. This continuing exercise, like clearing up the mess from my surrounding, is carried out through self-established and self-cultivated techniques, rules and orders, thereby scrutinize the relations to oneself and to the world, so as to live in tranquility and autonomous.
Au Hoi Lam
April 2012
AU Hoi Lam
1978
Born in Hong Kong
2001
Graduated with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours, The Chinese University of
Hong Kong (Major in Fine Arts, Minor in Philosophy )
2001-02
Received Alexandre Yersin Excellence Scholarship from Consulat Général de France à
Hong Kong. Studied at Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-arts du Mans, France
2004
Graduated with the Master of Fine Arts, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2009
Graduated with the Master of Philosophy (Department of Philosophy), The Chinese
University of Hong Kong
Solo Exhibitions
2010
Definitions of Time: Paintings by Au Hoi Lam (Edge Gallery, Hong Kong)
Au Hoi Lam Reading Room (Muji Atelier, Hong Kong)
2006
Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme III: When Words are Sweet…Paintings by Au Hoi-lam
(Hong Kong Central Library and Experimental Gallery & Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong)
2005
Cotton in the Rose (Graduate House, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
2004
Painting Journal (Cheng Ming Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Tone Quarters (Tone Quarters , Hong Kong)
2003
Every Little Thing (Cheng Ming Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
2002
Gifted Young Artist Training Program Chapter 5 – Au Hoi Lam Three Colors (Experimental Gallery, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong)
1999
Fleeing Memory (Lecture Hall Theatre Gallery, Shaw College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Group Exhibitions
2012
Phase of Heart-Abtract Art Group Exhibition I (Va Gallery, Hong Kong)
Fotanian Open Studios 2012 (Qiáng, Fo Tan, Hong Kong)
+ Alumni Exhibition of Jockey Club Ti-I College (Room 502, Hong Kong)
AVA x JCTIC” Art Exhibition (Koo Ming Kown Exhibition Gallery, Communication and Visual Arts Building, Hong Kong Baptist University)
ARTHK 2012 Hong Kong International Art Fair (Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre)
Market Forces: Whither Contemporary Art? (Osage Kwun Tong, Hong Kong)
Blue Hosue Festival 2012 (Yellow House, Hong Kong)
2011
10 Years of Fotanian: OpenStudios 2011 (Qiáng, Hong Kong)
HK ARTcomics 2011 (Artist Commune, Hong Kong)
I love x. Open studio + Recent works of Qiáng (Qiáng, Hong Kong)
Light Up – Amnesty International 50th anniversary exhibition (Rat’s Cave Gallery)
Vision – Hong Kong Contemporary Art Exhibition + Hong Kong Cancer Fund Charity Auction (Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong)
Elsewhere: Au Hoi Lam & Sara Tse (Osage Soho, Hong Kong)
2010
Lui Chun Kwong. You Are Here, I am Not. (Osage Kwun Tong, Hong Kong)
Small Beauty (Wellside Gallery, Shanghai, China)
2007
Autobiobliophiles: Artists who make or use books (Studio Bibliothèque, Hong Kong)
Remembering Hong Kong X Local Creative Forces (Time Square, Hong Kong)
“To Tsang, C.E.” Conceptual Art Exhibition (C & G Artpartment, Hong Kong)
Hong Kong New Designers Exhibition (Zephry (Hangzhou), 777 Gallery (Shanghai), Wan Ke (Hunan))
Reversing Horizons: Artist Reflections of the Hong Kong Handover 10th Anniversary (Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, Shanghai, China)
Merry Artists!! 100 Artists on 1 Tree (Too Art, Hong Kong)
2006
C Episode II: Read Différance: An Exhibition about Texts and Images (Room 221, Fotan, Hong Kong)
2005
Schema: A Traveller’s Approach (Artist Commune, , Hong Kong)
Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme III Launching Exhibition (Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong)
C- Alternative reading on text (Mackie Studies, Hong Kong)
2004
Matrix Inside Out: Paintings by Au Hoi Lam & Chow Chun Fai (Grotto Fine Art, Hong Kong)
Summer Show 2004 (Hanart TZ Gallery, Hong Kong)
2003
FotanGathering – NEOstalgia (Yi Liu Painting Factory, Hong Kong)
Hong Kong Art Biennial 2003 (Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong)
Fotanian – OneOneOneOneOne (131 Art Products, Hong Kong)
2001
Nokia Arts Awards, Asia Pacific 2000 Playground of Your Imagination (Insa Art Center, Seoul)
Berlin in Hong Kong – MTR Roving Art – Test Tube Bears (Admiralty Station, MTR, Hong Kong)
Graduation Exhibition: 16 Seats (Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
2000
“sh…” Paintings by Au Hoi Lam & Lee Kit (Fringe Club, Hong Kong)
Bunk Bed – Reconstruction of the Childhood’s Utopia: Works by Au Hoi Lam & Au Chi Kin (Shanghai Street Artspace, Hong Kong)
CityFestival 2001 – Blue is Blue – A Contemporary Art Interpretation (Hong Kong City Hall Exhibition Hall)
1999
Jockey Club Ti-I College 10 years Anniversary Exhibition (Pao’s Gallery, Hong Kong Arts Centre)
The Last Seven Days – Mixed Media Exhibition (Artist Commune, Oil Street, Hong Kong)
Publication & Research
Publications
1. Au Hoi Lam Painting Journal. Hong Kong, 2004.
Research
1. AU, Hoi Lam. Tear and Wear: Bodily Memorandum. Thesis (Master of Fine Art), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004.
Articles
1. Fleurs Des Lettres, Hong Kong, Vol. 13, 2008 Apr-May, p. 82.
2. Fleurs Des Lettres, Hong Kong, Vol. 15, 2008 Aug-Sep, p. 80.
3. Fleurs Des Lettres, Hong Kong, Vol. 17, 2008 Dec – 2009 Jan , p. 80.
Awards
2001 Ramon Woon Creative Prize
2001 Hui’s Fine Arts Awards – Painting
2000 Nokia Arts Awards – Asia Pacific 2000 – Finalist
2000 Cheng’s Fines Arts Awards – Painting
Works collected by
Hong Kong Museum of Art
Yoho Town Hong Kong
Allen & Overy
Harbour City Estates Limited
Private Collectors
