Upclose with Teddy Lo
A chance encounter with a small LED sample sparked artist/designer Teddy Lo’s interest in the new medium. In between exhibitions in America and Europe and at the helm of LEDARTIST—a commercial light design firm, he talks to Beverly Cheng ahead of “Invention & Intervention” new media exhibition.
HK Magazine: What brought you back to Hong Kong?
Teddy Lo: I was away for sixteen years but I came back for two reasons: 1) to spend more time with my parents; 2) because the China market is opening up now. In the States and Europe, people have seen my work but back home [in Hong Kong] no one has.
HK: How’s the art scene here compared to the States?
TL: The community is a lot smaller. There’s community support like the Art Development Council that puts on festivals for people to get to know new media art forms, but the scene isn’t as vibrant as in New York.
HK: Why is Hong Kong so far behind?
TL: A big part is the mentality. In Hong Kong there are a lot of restrictions. If an artist were to set up a canvas in the street, he would be harassed by the cops.
HK: How did you start working with LED lights?
TL: I was doing an art project at home and I had to find my own media. My family is from a technology manufacturing background and I’d go back to Hong Kong for the summer. One night, I found a LED module—a very small LED—and I pushed a button and the color lit up and then I realized that it’s an interesting material.
HK: So how did you evolve from an art student to an artist?
TL: While I was an advertising art director in New York, I was also working on a solo show for LED lighting, which took me nine to 10 months to complete. From that art exhibition, I started getting calls from people.
HK: How do you manage traveling all the time?
TL: I split my time between New York, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Hong Kong is where my core design members are here. Shanghai is a really vibrant city that has a lot of Chinese qualities, so for that reason I find it very interesting to be there. I go to New York and it’s very exciting to see all of these art exhibitions and design shows that you can’t find in Hong Kong or China—it’s very inspiring.