Event: Kwok Ying: In the Jungle

Date: June 18 - July 5, 2003

Grotto Fine Art takes pleasure in presenting "Kwok Ying: In the Jungle", an exhibition of new works by one of the leading young woman artists. Featuring over fifteen new paintings and installations, this exhibition displays conventional mixed-media works as well as the artist's newest experimental project focusing on animal patterns and senses. "Kwok Ying: In the Jungle" will be on view at the gallery from June 18th through July 5th, 2003.

Kwok Ying's new works focus on patterns and how different combination of simple forms can generate broader visual connotation. A physical artist who likes to use heavy industrial materials and labor-intensive works, Kwok applies pencil or ink on canvas that is pre-treated with a layer of ceramic clay. The artist creates repetitive patterns of organic or textile origins, at times imitating everyday fabrics while sometimes resembling animal skins. The finished pieces exert a unique sense of lightness and heaviness, masculinity and femininity reflective of the artist's character. The essence of Kwok's work thus lies in its ability to amuse the view at first glance, then, by bringing them closer to work, unveil a new world of imaginative visual excitement and fresh senses.

Born in 1977, Kwok Ying graduated from the Fine Arts department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2000. She now works as an art administrator while maintaining a studio for her creative venture. In 2001, Kwok Ying won a Fine Art Award at the Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition and, in 2002, the Hong Kong Museum of Art acquired two of her works, making her one of the youngest artists ever collected.