Schoeni Art Gallery Sept 3 to Oct 2
Chen Fei knows all about bad taste. The Chinese contemporary artist had, after all, painted such works as Little Birdie (2006), which features a girl playing suggestively with a man's 'birdie' - something that some may consider to be in poor taste. But for Chen, who is known for his tongue in cheek humour, why let 'bad taste' get in the way of good art?
In his debut Hong Kong solo show Bad Taste, which opens at Schoeni Art Gallery tomorrow, Chen continues to challenge and provoke his audience.
In explaining the exhibition title, the artist says: 'I have my own set of system, values and philosophy, thus this series of 'bad' taste will be revealed in my work, from time to time.'
His latest series of works (including Bad Uncle - Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni, right) is also inspired by movies. A film buff and director, Chen says 'watching films is a very important channel through which I gain knowledge'. Among the films Chen references are The Professional and Kill Bill. He says he is fascinated by the unrealistic circumstances in which the characters are placed.
'What attracts me most about these characters is that they do not need to follow the rules of society. For example, the killers do not get punished by law for their deeds, [instead] they receive respect from the audience.'