Gallery Exit Tomorrow to Aug 22 High rents, a materialistic culture and parents who want you to be a doctor: Hong Kong doesn't make it easy to be an artist. Somehow, though, a new wave of young artists have emerged, dedicated to pursuing their creative passions against all the odds. Tomorrow, Gallery Exit explores this devotion to art with a new exhibition, when i draw, i think of ..., which showcases works on paper by six artists born in the 1980s. All but one work as artists full time, something that would have been unheard of just a decade ago. 'It goes back to thinking about what is art and art-making in Hong Kong,' says curator Aenon Loo. 'In the mainland you can make these five-metre-wide paintings in these immense spaces that they have to work in. But in Hong Kong, as they say, a foot of gold can buy you an inch in land. So you have to compact as much energy into a small space. The act of drawing is a lot like that. You're taking the time, slowing down and focusing on doing one thing well.' The works on show are united by an aesthetic that combines an acute sense of detail with something quite delicate and ethereal. Onion Worship (pictured), by Cam Wong, is typical. Wong spent two months painstakingly etching the image of a small figure kneeling towards a giant onion onto a copper plate. She then soaked the plate in acid to expose the etching, coated it in ink and transferred it to paper. Soft undulating curves contrast with a rough mosaic texture in the final product. 'I tried many different things while I was studying, but I was drawn to people who focus on just one thing, so I stopped searching and started [etching],' says Wong. 'Everyone around me is interested in something. Some are interested in dolphins, others in onions, anything. Maybe what they worship is not very classic or normal, but they get passion from those things. 'When I work I don't want to think too much. I just want to focus on one thing. It's like a spiritual moment.' G/F, 1 Shin Hing Street, Central. Opening hours: Mon to Sat, 11am to 7pm.
