Art Experience Gallery teaches young artists some well-needed skills

As a young artist, Iris Tsang See-wan knows how hard it is to show her work in Hong Kong. Despite a booming visual arts scene, with big international galleries setting up shop in the city, Tsang thinks the local scene has become too commercialised, the pressure to make a profit leaving little space for young experimental artists to develop the necessary skills to succeed.

"Being an artist is a whole package; making the artwork is just one part of it. How do you get the skills an artist needs if you don't get the chance to learn?"

To open up the playing field, the Art Experience Gallery in Tsuen Wan invited young artists to apply for its "First Smash" Art Project Group Show, which runs until August 31.

The gallery asked graduates to apply online for a chance to be exhibited. Six artists were chosen from 30 candidates.

"Our selection was based on the artist's concept, and how they elaborated on it," says gallery director Jacky Yeung Ka-fai.

Since it opened in 2010, the gallery has focused on promoting artists from the region. But only local artists have the chance to display their work for the latest project. There is "an obvious imbalance between the number of galleries and art-related institutions and the number of young artists graduating every year", Yeung says.