Artist Wilson Shieh brushes up on political activism
Best known for his subtly subversive work, artist Wilson Shieh is amping up his political style, writes Enid Tsui
Wilson Shieh Ka-ho is an unlikely political activist. The artist made his name in the late 1990s with highly stylised, often erotic images in the traditional Chinese gongbi, or fine brush, technique. These were thought to be thoroughly original - and yet, there was a sense he was holding back from being truly subversive.
Then there were his comments on Tiananmen. He would say in interviews that the 1989 student leaders spurred him to pursue his dreams while steering clear of direct criticism of the brutal crackdown.
The relationship between artists and society has changed in Hong Kong. There are a lot more people who are interested in art now.
But Shieh has stopped being polite. There was nothing discreet about his 2011 work, Don't compare him to dog. That is an insult to us, which was directed at unpopular former chief secretary Stephen Lam Sui-lung. And his 2012 Who is grandfather? was a brazen comment on Hong Kong's lack of autonomy.
"The relationship between artists and society has changed in Hong Kong. There are a lot more people who are interested in art now. I want to throw myself into this historic moment of Hong Kong's transition. This is not a time to stay quiet," the artist says.
Born in 1970, Shieh burst on to the art scene in the 1990s with a fresh interpretation of sexuality and gender roles. His fixation with the body and fascination with costumes are still as much of a hallmark of his art as they were in 1998, when he held his first solo show, "Fleshly".
But the past few years have seen him blending the human form with well-known symbols of Hong Kong's culture and identity, which he is determined to preserve.