Adrian Wong is the first sculptor to win the Sovereign Asian Art Prize
Adrian Wong turned to art as a career after a life-changing experience working with orphans. Now a key shift in his work has resulted in him winning a prestigious prize, writes Catherine Shaw
Hong Kong-based artist Adrian Wong Ho-Yin could be forgiven for sounding surprised when he won the 10th edition of the Sovereign Asian Art Prize with his sculptural piece - as the annual award has always been associated with paintings.
But his winning work - Untitled (Grate III/IV: Golden Electrical Company/Sheng Kung Hui Kei Yan Primary School) - impressed because it marks an important departure in Wong's work, says judge David Elliot.
"Previously, he was interested in the interaction between popular culture and kitsch. This work, however, a kind of minimal sculpture, is embedded in the architectural and social history of Hong Kong yet is also an intriguing aesthetic entity in its own right," Elliot says.
It's about taking something thought of as banal and giving it a new platform
The abstract layered installation of steel, plastic and enamel grates (measuring around 152cm by 152cm) was inspired by a metal fence Wong saw at an elementary school on Hollywood Road in Central.
The grates, the artist says, act much like a psychological and physical "filter" or obstacle that separates different urban activities. "What really catches my eye is looking for patterns and repetition in things that seem very utilitarian, like a cover for an air conditioner or the skeleton of a garbage can. There is a very interesting hidden language behind a lot of these things that you can miss if you are not looking for it."
Metal security bars and grills are ubiquitous in Hong Kong, despite being one of the world's safest cities, says Wong, who earlier in his career explored the notions of anxiety and fear and their impact on the broader social context.
"So many buildings have security guards and security grates on their doors. There is almost paranoia. I find that very interesting without making any judgment about whether it is a good thing or bad thing. There is also something about the physicality of steel that really resonates and speaks for itself."
"It's about redirecting attention and taking something that would ordinarily be banal and giving it a new platform," says Wong. His Untitled (Grate X: Quan Ju De Famous Duck) artwork on show at Art Basel Hong Kong with Chicago art gallery Rhona Hoffman was quickly snapped up by a Hong Kong collector.