Positive vibes goal of fashionista's solo art exhibition
Cassian Lau Kai-shun isn't usually to be seen in an art gallery. He's more a fashionista, as the co-founder of fashion boutique Sistyr Moon, which also carries individual labels such as Rebecca Taylor, See by Chloe and Hysteric Glamour. But he is presenting his first solo art exhibition, Electric Claustrophobia, tomorrow.
Despite spending most of his time in the fashion business these days, the fine-arts graduate is pleased he finally got the chance to pick up his paintbrush again. He said he wanted to use his exhibition to pass on some positive messages.
'Every day, we are bombarded by negativities. I recently read a story about a girl who was strangled and had her head cut off. It's horrible,' Lau said. 'My main goal here is to bring smiles to people's faces even though some may laugh at my work and say: 'Oh, look at his painting, it's dumb.' I sincerely hope that it will bring some positive energy to people and hopefully they can pass it on to others.'
Lau's works are full of elements from the comic genre. He has been greatly influenced by comics, which he has read avidly since childhood, especially those with a special storyline, such as Superman and Spider-Man.
'When I first migrated to Toronto, I was a six-year-old Hong Kong kid who had a total culture shock. I didn't understand a thing the other children were saying. I could barely communicate with anyone. So my sister thought maybe if I read comic books, I would pick up the language from there. The first thing I learned was how to curse at people,' he said with a laugh.
He is still hooked on reading comics and is planning to publish his works as a comic series later.
About 34 artworks by Lau, including a 'claustrophobic' installation, will be on display at Madhouse Contemporary Gallery (10 Kau U Fong, Central) from tomorrow until May 16.
