The Artist: Leung Chi-wo
An artist who uses everyday objects, from desks to the interior of people’s homes as his subject and inspiration, Leung Chi-wo’s photography urges his audience to look beyond the obvious and become open to reinterpreting their values. He is currently an associate professor at the School of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m actually a trained artist. I had no formal training in photography, except a postgraduate diploma in a culture of photography course in Italy. The course itself had more to do with being trained to know about photography rather than actually taking photographs. I practice art, and I employ a lot of different media in my art, but I have always been interested in photography.
Does working in Fo Tan, an area where many other artists now also have their studios, make your work environment more interesting?
When I first moved to Fo Tan, it was because housing was cheap, it was close to home and because there was a lot of support. Now, a lot more artists have moved to Fo Tan, and I think it’s interesting because it makes society more aware of artists.
What do you hope to accomplish in your work?
My work focuses on the way we can see things—always look at what’s in between and hidden. There’s always that subject you get drawn to and see first when you look at a photograph, but there is also something else, something minor or accidentally captured. Their recognizable features may be covered, but nonetheless they are present.
What are the challenges of being a successful photographer in Hong Kong?
I don’t consider myself successful, so it’s not challenging at all.
Then what do you consider a success?
I haven’t reached a large audience that interprets my work in different ways and is critical about it. When I say larger, I don’t mean only in number, but also in quality, and in the time we allow ourselves to view things. Everyone has the right to view things; it just depends if they want to or not.
See Leung Chi-wo’s work at his upcoming joint photography exhibition, “Anonymities—A Conversation Between Leung Chi-wo and Ng Sai-kit,” at Lumenvisum, L2-10, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, 30 Pak Tin St., Shek Kip Mei.
The exhibition opens January 12 at 5pm and continues through February 24; Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-6pm.