Vivian Ho. Image courtesy A2Z Art Gallery Hong Kong

Paris-based A2Z Art Gallery will be opening their first gallery in Asia on 8 June 2017. Located in Hong Kong, the new A2Z Art Gallery HK will be presenting a solo exhibition by local artist Vivian Ho, titled ‘And then We are Strangers Again’.

‘And then We are Strangers Again’ features Ho’s depiction of the post-90s generation’s perspective of life in the city. Using a combination of pastels and watercolours, Ho’s dreamy style evokes a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality for her homeland.

Vivian Ho, ‘I just want some attention’, 2017. Image courtesy A2Z Art Gallery Hong Kong

The exhibition derives its name from the lyrics of a song by Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, ‘葡萄成熟时’ (When the Grapes are Mature). Growing up in the 90s, Ho spent her childhood surrounded by elements of Hong Kong popular culture such as Cantonese music. Her nostalgia for the past is clear in the fairytalesque way in which she depicts of the city, with a sense of wistfulness and lingering in the flickering, fading details of her works.

Vivian Ho, ‘My life is a cage’, 2017. Image courtesy A2Z Art Gallery Hong Kong

However, Ho’s art is more than just a self-indulgent exercise in nostalgia — beneath the surreal, romantic quality of her art lies something very tangible. Amidst strong feelings of political dissatisfaction and a seemingly unending struggle to discover their identity, the sentiment and national pride that shines through Ho’s work serves as a meaningful and timely reminder to the public.

Powerful and poignant, ‘And then We are Strangers Again’ is an introspective and thought-provoking narrative that promises to enthrall. It will run at A2Z Art Gallery HK until 22 July 2017.

ilyda chua