Artists’ sensations of the surrounding world, like a chord gently struck, often awaken their keen sensitivity, inspiring their creations that are resonant and thought-provoking. Contemporary by Angela Li is pleased to present group exhibition curated by Leung Shiu Kee Eric, “Between Soul and Senses”, from 14 August to 13 September 2025, bringing together eight recent Fine Arts graduates from three Hong Kong institutions to exhibit their artworks. Through their different perspectives, the artworks open an intimate dialogue between artists and viewers – a quiet exchange between the soul and sensibility. The exhibiting artists include Ang Cheuk Kiu, Kayla; Chiang Wing Sze, Cecilia; Hi Tsz Cheuk, Andrew; Kwok Hei Tung, Cynthia; Ng Hon; Pun Ka Man, Carmen; Tang Tsz Wai, Cheri and Wong Ka Yuet, Kathleen. Through their distinctive works, each artist offers a personal reflection on the world around them, shaped by feeling, perception and inner response.
Pun Ka Man, Carmen, from the Academy of Visual Arts of Hong Kong Baptist University, was troubled by depression and health issues during the COVID era and started to find scenery that calms the mind within the bustling city. She uses thin layers of oil paint to create geometric landscapes in her works, exploring themes of loneliness and isolation within the cityscapes of Hong Kong.
Wong Ka Yuet, Kathleen, from the same university, looks for interesting perspectives of old and new within the densely populated modern metropolis and expresses Hong Kong’s layers of heritage through high contrast, coloured depictions of the city’s historic architecture.
The series “Tropical Dream” by Hi Tsz Cheuk, Andrew, from the Department of Fine Arts of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, depicts the city’s ubiquitous tropical flora and scenery through hyperrealism techniques and overlaying colours, creating a “tropical vision” and recalling memories of the Southern summers.
This year, a few participating artists took on the theme of figuration. Kwok Hei Tung, Cynthia, from Hong Kong Art School, views her body as a signal tower - able to receive signals from other bodies while drawing, and displaying her own consciousness through the artwork. Her expressionist figure paintings with rough brushstrokes and bold colours mirror her strong psychological reflections.
The oil painting series “Stagger's Struggle in Motion” by Ng Hon, from the same school, portrays entangled limbs in combat, highlighting intimate contact as well as violent confrontations at the same time. Yet such opposing senses are blurred in the hazy scene, forming a paradoxical consonance.
Ang Cheuk Kiu, Kayla, from Hong Kong Baptist University, believes that self-portraits are not only an exploration of the inner world, but also a carrier of emotions and thoughts. She uses gentle brushstrokes to create intimate ambience, allowing the audience to experience the delicate emotions in the eyes of the portraits.
Chiang Wing Sze, Cecilia, from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, creates artwork that are close to her living experiences, portraying realistic yet intriguing scenes and reflecting the resonance of the surrounding phenomena. The artist often lets her mind wander while looking at random objects. The subtle characteristics of the object may begin to magnify while its form gradually becomes hazy, diffuses and even starts fading. When the original form is forgotten, what remains is a vast space of imagination and interesting unfamiliarity. The artwork “After Forgetting”, for instance, is the afterimage left behind by a lingering gaze on apples.
Tang Tsz Wai, Cheri, from Hong Kong Art School, transforms ceramics and industrial found objects into sound-generating resonators, uncovering the hidden acoustic potential in everyday objects. Through kinetic ceramic bells, she interweaves the haptic, visual and auditory to craft a richly multi-sensory experience.