What do you get when you cross the Sistine Madonna with Hello Kitty? Hong Kong artist pushes boundaries
Ernest Chang’s latest exhibition includes works that combine paintings from the Italian Renaissance with pop culture icons
“It was stressful,” he admits, “like when a Chanel dress arrives late for an actress attending the Oscars.
“But I’m glad they are here,” he says, pointing to six shiny Oscar-like statuettes that take centre stage. “They give the show a new dimension.”
Chang’s “Famous by Proxy” exhibition, at The Stallery, in Wan Chai, features 16 mixed-media artworks combining silk-screen prints with wood, sculpture and neon lights. Each piece is composed in the style of a Renaissance work with the figures replaced by cartoon, anime, video game or comic book characters.
“I wanted to create visual, cultural and historical hybrids,” says Chang. “By superimposing images from mass culture onto classical artworks I’m introducing one group to another, appealing to two audiences.