Reading newspaper in English ( P.12 )

©The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas May-June 2016... ©The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas Eboshi kabuto eboshi-shaped helmet and menpõ half mask, late 16th cen

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18 A Showcase of Young Local Talent

Hong Kong’s emerging artists introduce viewers

to their diverse and vibrant creations in the city’s recent art fair

24 Vung Tau…and how!

This seaside village tucked away on the tip of a peninsula jutting into the South China Sea is a treasure trove for those seeking an adventure

30 Claude Monet: Th e Spirit of Place

Picturesque beaches and landscapes provided inspiration for this artist’s most famous paintings

34 Aperture - Finding Inner Space

40 Motor Cars : Cars and Lifestyles in

Hong Kong in the Twentieth Century

42 All Around the World

44 Events to See and Do

Herb Moskowitz

Tel +852 9276 1011 themediarep@gmail.com

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Cover Photo Credit

Nimaitachidõ tõsei gusoku (armor),

Muromachi period, ca 1400 (helmet bowl), mid-Edo period, 18th century (armor) Iron, shakudõ, lacing, silver, wood, gold, brocade, fur, bronze, brass, leather

Photograph by Brad Flowers ©The Ann & Gabriel Mueller Museum, Dallas

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Wher e to b uy

Editorial

Editor in Chief Cammy Yiu

Editor Deborah DeGolyer

Contributing Sandi Butchkiss

Editors Elaine Crebo

Michael Saso

Advisor Brandon Royal

Administration Ade Wong

Design Dave Chung

Creative Asia Brand

Web Master Digital Revolution

Charlotte Chang Cliff Shaff ran Elaine Crebo Janet Pancho Gupta

Lanston Connor Maggie Ng

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Contact Cammy Yiu cammy@asiabrand.biz Offi ce +852 3902-3261

INSIGHTFUL

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An extraordinary and extensive collection of Samurai armour

from The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection is currently

travelling from museums in the United States to Canada and

then on to Paris Sandi Butchkiss recently saw the exhibition at

the Denver Art Museum, and she spent hours poring over the

helmets, leg coverings, masks, shoes, stirrups, and the head and

body protections for the Samurai’s horses She was awe-struck

at the highly detailed workmanship involved in creating a single

suit of armour as well as the exquisitely fashioned weaponry

such as the longbow, the arrows and the sheath in which to

carry them The collection is spectacular and of impeccable

quality, incredible quantity and range These stunning works

of art, breathtakingly intricate in design, were meant to bestow

prestige and fearsomeness in these soldiers for hire, who were

also expert horsemen, archers, swordsmen and tacticians of

war – warriors in a class of their own Also on display are the

deadliest weapons ever invented, the elegant swords,

includ-ing the katana

At the recent Aff ordable Art Fair in Hong Kong, exhibitors drew

the art-loving public and collectors alike to the promising work

of young artists, especially those who continue to work across

diff erent niches in our local vibrant art scene Charlotte Chang

presents some of the work of our emerging talent in her feature,

A Showcase of Young Local Talent With their varied backgrounds

and experiences, these young artists are innovating and cutting

across both traditional and cutting-edge media

Elaine Crebo writes about Vung Tau, a favourite weekend getaway for the Ho Chi Minh City folk This village/city/seaside resort is tucked away on the tip of a peninsula jutting into the South China Sea and is a treasure trove of possibility that is surpris-ingly, not yet swarming with tourists On this return visit to a city she visited a few years ago, she gives it her thumbs up as a bucket list destination when visiting Vietnam

Hong Kong-based painter and photographer, Janet Pancho Gupta, titled her latest exhibition “Finding Inner Space” At the Culture Club, she exhibited her photographs that captured daily life in the city, using macro photography to bring back child-like curiosities and beliefs in fi nding magic in ordinary places Colourful and enigmatic, her images show that Hong Kong is still a city full of wonders

Enjoy

Editor

in chief

From the

CULTURE Magazine is published monthly in Hong Kong (twelve times

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CULTURE Magazine presents writings, views and images submitted by tributors Although we fully support the rights of our contributors to express their opinions, we do not necessarily endorse them

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Aperture - Finding Inner Space Motor Cars : Cars and Lifestyles in Hong

Kong in the Twentieth Century

May-June 2016

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For more information contact

Cammy Yiu

cammy@asiabrand.biz Offi ce +852 3902-3261 www.culture-hongkong.com

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presented by CULTURE Magazine

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Mogamidõ tõsei gusoku (armor), Hõrai Kunichika (helmet) and Myõchin Muneaki (mask), Edo period, 17th–18th century

Photograph by Brad Flowers ©The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas

May-June 2016

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The

Dressed to Kill Not just soldiers for hire, but also expert horsemen, archers, swordsmen

and tacticians of war, these fearsome warriors were in a class of their own

Text Sandi Butchkiss Photos Cliff Shaff ran and Denver Art Museum

If Bill Gates or Li Kai Shing were around back in the late 1100s

to the early 1800s, from the Kamakura era through to the Edo

periods in Japan, they each would have been shoguns or

pow-erful warlords (appointed by the emperor to protect the land

from barbarians and warring tribes)

Courtesy Denver Art Museum

Original suits, designed for protection and fl exibility, worn by real samurai over 800 years,

These shoguns, in turn, employed a retinue of powerful keepers to do battle when necessary These adept warriors who were hired to be their protectors and professional bodyguards came to be known as the samurai

peace-CULTURE

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The Samurai

I recall being very impressed a number of years ago when I saw a couple of the elaborately constructed fanciful suits of armour the samurai wore displayed

in the royal palace in Tokyo But the extensive tion currently travelling from museums in the United States to one in Canada and then on to another in Paris, is far more spectacular for its impeccable qual-ity, incredible quantity and range

collec-To be able to scrutinize one of, if not the fi nest and most comprehensive collections in the world, we owe our thanks to extraordinary collectors, Anne and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller and their eponymous

Kaen kabuto (fl ame helmet) representing hõju

no tama (the fl aming jewel), early Edo period,

ca 1630 Iron, lacquer, lacing, gold, bronze

Myõchin Ki no Munenaga, Sõmen

(full-face mask), Edo period, 1710 Iron

Photograph by Brad Flowers ©The Ann & Gabriel

Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas

Eboshi kabuto (eboshi-shaped helmet)

and menpõ (half mask), late 16th century

Photograph by Brad Flowers ©The Ann & Gabriel

Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas

Bamen (horse mask), late Edo period,

19th century Leather, metal, lacquer

Suited up, armed and ready for battle

Surprised? Many samurai were women Before photography, artists painted the battles

At the ready, with or without his armor

May-June 2016

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museum in Dallas for giving us an up close and personal look and for sharing their magnifi cent hoard with the rest of us

We spent over three hours at the Denver Art Museum poring over the extraordinary samurai exhibition Not only were we awed by the highly detailed workmanship involved in creating just one single suit of armour, which is truly mind-boggling, but also by the numbers of highly skilled artisans it required to fi rst design all the various accoutrements and then complete the samurai wardrobe, each piece equally as breathtaking in its intricate design and workmanship as the fi nished armour itself

There are the helmets, the leg coverings, the masks, the shoes, the stirrups, and even the head and body protections for their horses

And you can’t forget the exquisitely fashioned weaponry

The longbow, the arrows and the sheath in which to carry them The various types of swords, especially their favourite (the katana), thought to be both the most elegant and deadly weapon ever invented

These elaborate, ornate pieces that made up the samurais’ total needs were fabricated of some and often all of the following ingredients: leather, copper, iron, lacquer, silk cords and threads, bronze, feathers, fur, leather, gold, horn and horsehair – mate-rials strong yet amazingly and remarkably fl exible But before any of these elements were incorporated into the armour and into the rest of the samurai’s paraphernalia, there had to be individually and intricately designed sketches Only then could the fabrication into a stunning work of art begin

Now you start to get an image of what a huge cast of talented artisans and craftsmen were needed to be involved in this enormous process before a samurai could mount his horse and ride into battle

Tachidõ tõsei gusoku (armor), late Edo period Bagai (horse armor),

Momoyama to Edo period: 2nd half of 19th century.

Bamen (horse mask), late 16th century Bagu (horse tack),

17th century Iron, wood, lacquer, leather, brocade, horsehair, gold

Inspiration for George Lucas and Darth Vader

Every fearsome suit a

unique work of art

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The Samurai

Even more fascinating to me than seeing the actual armour and acces-sories once donned by these warriors

of long ago was discovering the kind

of men they were – not a bunch of soldiers for hire, but expert horsemen, archers, swordsmen and tacticians of war strategy Unlike any other group in history, they were also highly educated and schooled in the fi ner things in life,

so much so, that they were admired, respected and considered to be much more than fearsome warriors Ironically, the word samurai means

“to serve the nobility” Yet they were themselves, in fact, the

nobility, named by the emperor as the offi cial elite class

And it’s totally understandable For starters, this highly cultured

and well-mannered group could read and write, which in those

feudal days was a rare achievement indeed They were patrons of

the arts, they meditated (in their spare time?) and practised Zen

Buddhism, they were adept at calligraphy, gardening, painting

Who says size doesn’t matter?

A samurai’s “at home” stash

Now that’s a pair of

leggings for you!

Talented artisans hard at work designing and creating armor Horses were just as frightening ….but their saddles were stunning works of art

Some designs went

With the aid of technological breakthroughs, scientists have found there were many more female samurais than believed Often as many as one third of those in battle were women Known as the Onna-Bugeisha, in addition to their primary duty

of protecting their homes, they often fought bravely side by side with their male counterparts, but with somewhat smaller and lighter swords A statue honouring of one of these famous female warriors stands in Japan today

Around the mid-1800s, a shogun by the name of Tokugawa took over the reins of the still rather isolated country, creating

May-June 2016

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Yokohagidõ tõsei gusoku (armor), early to mid-Edo period,

17th century (helmet bowl),18th century (mask and armor) Iron, leather, gold, wood, lacing, fur, hemp

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Tengu tõsei gusoku (armor), late Edo period, 1854

Photograph by Brad Flowers.©The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas

Sujibachi kabuto (ridged helmet), late Muromachi to mid-Edo period,

16th–mid-18th century

Photograph by Studio Ferrazzini Bouchet Photography, Geneva

©The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas

This exceptional Samurai exhibition, at Denver Art Museum, is from The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection

The Samurai

May-June 2016

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a period of great peace This was good for Japan, but not so much for the samurai, whose protection and battle prowess were no longer in demand.

One thing led to another – the industrial revolution played a part

as did many other technological, political and cultural changes – and this proud and highly regarded elite class had no option but to hang up their suits of armour and re-position themselves

as reluctant but practical farmers and businessmen

However, and happily, the word samurai continues to signify a most impressive and admirable group of people whose impact

on their country and countrymen will never be forgotten

And much of the legacy of the samurai is still evident today in the twenty-fi rst century

Their code of honour, known as bushido, which incorporated courage, sincerity, honour, loyalty and self-control, similar in many ways to that of the philosophy of the chivalrous English knights of old, laid the foundation of Japan’s culture, still much

The long white skirts with the centre slits adapted by followers

of jujitsu and other martial arts, are exact copies of those worn

by the samurai centuries ago

And the current trendy topknot hairstyle favoured by hip young men and women of today, comes directly from the topknots worn by these marvellous warriors beneath their helmets for centuries

SamuraiArmour From The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller CollectionDenver Art Museum

Until 5 June 2016

Authors note

If this article has whetted your appetite for more about this fantastic part of Japan’s history, please do delve further I promise, it will be time and energies well spent

Yokohagidõ tõsei gusoku (armor), Nanbokuchõ period,

1336–1392 (helmet), mid-Edo period, 18th century (suit) Iron,

shakudõ, gold and silver lacquer, lacing, leather, bronze,

wood, silk, brocade, bear fur

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Windows on the City

The School of Paris 1900-1945

An exciting exhibition presents some of the most influential

paintings and sculptures of the last century

Text Maggie Ng / Photos courtesy of Guggenheim Bilbao

Held at the Guggenheim Bilbao, Windows on the City is a

unique exhibition featuring over fi fty masterpieces documenting

the key movements of modern art, from the city best known for

its artistic contributions to the world – Paris, France

Showcasing works from Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Wasily

Kandinsky and Marcel Duchamp, among others, this exhibition

includes highly infl uential sculptures and paintings from the fi rst

years of the twentieth century through to World War II Paris,

which had long been a centre of the art world, was attracting

artists from around the world, creating a hotbed for fresh and

exciting visionaries to share their ideas These artists would

come to be known collectively as the School of Paris In reaction

to the economic, social and technological advancements, bold

new takes on art and literature were being envisioned, which

challenged pre-existing ideas of aesthetics in a radical way

Paris…was attracting

artists from around

the world, creating a

hotbed for fresh and

exciting visionaries to

share their ideas

Newspaper and Fruit Dish (Journal et compotier), Juan Gris, Oil on canvas

March 1916

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, By gift, Estate of Katherine S Dreier, 53.1341

May-June 2016

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Red Eiffel Tower (La tour rouge), Robert Delaunay, Oil on canvas, 1911–12

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Solomon R Guggenheim Founding Collection, 46.1036

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Windows on the City: The School of Paris 1900-1945

Still Life with Gingerpot II (Stilleven met gemberpot II), Piet Mondrian, Oil on canvas, 1911–12

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, L294.76

The Soldier Drinks (Le soldat boit), Marc Chagall Oil on canvas, 1911–12

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Solomon R Guggenheim Founding Collection, 49.1211

© VEGAP, Bilbao, 2016

Around the Circle (Autour du cercle), Vasily Kandinsky, Oil and enamel on canvas, May–August 1940

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Solomon R Guggenheim Founding Collection, 49.1222 © VEGAP, Bilbao, 2016

May-June 2016

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The Cubist movement, led by Picasso and Braque, turned the medium of painting on its head in the fi rst half of the twentieth century Radically transforming and challenging the very notion

of representation in art, the movement is known for its ing down” of the subject matter into geometric shapes and fractured forms Some of the works on display representative

“break-of this period include Braque’s Piano and Mandola (1909) and Picasso’s Bottles and Glasses (1911-1912)

Robert Delaunay’s iconic and vivid Red Eiff el Tower (1911-12), part

of a series of Eiff el Tower paintings, utilises multiple viewpoints, bold colours and a rhythmic fragmentation of form Though criticised at its unveiling for looking “unfi nished”, this piece exemplifi es the dynamism of Paris during this era

After World War I, the Surrealist movement also came to be associated with the School of Paris Inspired by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud’s theories of the unconscious, Surrealist writers and artists sought to express and articulate “hidden” or repressed desires and ideas Max Ernst and Yves Tanguy juxtaposed seem-ingly unrelated objects, while Joan Miro and Jean Arp created their works without premeditation, in an attempt to bypass the conscious mind

Violin and Palette (Violon et palette), Georges Braque

Oil on canvas, September 1, 1909

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, 54.1412

Mandolin and Guitar (Mandoline et guitare), Pablo Picasso , Oil with sand on canvas, 1924

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York 53.1358 © Sucesión Pablo Picasso VEGAP, Bilbao, 2016

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Nude Model in the Studio (Le modèle nu dans l’atelier),

Fernand Léger, Oil on burlap, 1912–13

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Solomon R genheim Founding Collection, 49.1193 © VEGAP, Bilbao, 2016

Gug-There, Motion Has Not Yet Ceased (Là ne fi nit pas encore le mouvement), Yves Tanguy, Oil on canvas, 1945

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Bequest, Richard S Zeisler, 2007.47

Circular Forms (Formes circulaires), Robert Delaunay, Oil on canvas, 1930

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Solomon R Guggenheim Founding Collection, 49.1184

Le Moulin de la Galette, Pablo Picasso, Oil on canvas, autumn 1900

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Thannhauser Collection, Gift

Justin K Thannhauser, 78.2514.34 © Sucesión Pablo Picasso VEGAP, Bilbao, 2016

Windows on the City: The School of Paris 1900-1945

May-June 2016

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In 1934, Russian expressionist and abstract painter Vasily dinsky also came to live in Paris His works from 1934 onwards,

Kan-such as Around the Circle (1940), combine his early free-form

abstraction with the inclusion of geometric shapes

The rise of Fascism and the occupation of France during World War II unfortunately brought an end to the School of Paris, as the artists who took refuge and formed a community in the city were forced to leave However, the works produced during that time would go on to infl uence generations of artists abroad

An interesting feature of this exhibition is an educational area that takes visitors through a “time tunnel” exploring the historical context of the decades in which these artworks were created Photomurals, videos and audio material capture the spirit of the time Courses and events are also available for those who want to learn more

Until 23 October 2016Windows on the City: The School of Paris 1900-1945Guggenheim Bilbao

The rise of Fascism and the occupation of France during World War II

King of Kings (Le roi des rois), Constantin

Brancusi, Oak, ca 1938

Nude (Nu), Amedeo Modigliani, Oil on canvas, 1917

Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York, Solomon R Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift, 41.535 Landscape (The Hare) (Paysage [Le lièvre]), Joan Miró, Oil on canvas, autumn 1927

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A Showcase of Young Local Talent

Hong Kong’s emerging artists introduce viewers to their diverse and vibrant creations in the city’s recent art fair

Text Charlotte Chang Images courtesy of the respective artists, galleries and the Aff ordable Art Fair 2016

Lost City No.45, Vaan Ip, Installation

Courtesy of the artist and the Affordable Art Fair

May-June 2016

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The Aff ordable Art Fair returned to Hong Kong May 13-15 with presentations by more than 100 local and international galleries The exhibitors showed an exciting array of local and overseas artists who work across a wide range of media, exploring diff erent issues of concern to them with a diversity

of innovative and unique practices Once again, the Fair was able to draw attention from the art-loving public and collectors alike to the promising work of young artists, especially those who are based in and continue to work across diff erent niches

in Hong Kong’s vibrant art scene

Apart from local galleries featuring prominent presentations of young, local emerging talent, a returning show in the public area

of the Fair called “Young Talent Hong Kong”, curated by lished curator and scholar Eric Leung, showed the innovative work by artists Julvian Ho, Vaan Ip, Andio Lai, Joyce Lung, Ng Sum Chi, Siu Wai Hang, Donna Tam, Wayne Wong, Jovial Yeung,

estab-Many of the works in

“Young Talent Hong Kong”

explore the aesthetic

intersections between

light, sound and motion

through a range of

traditional, non-traditional

and new media

Falsely Implied (I) (2014)

Ernest Chang, Digital Print On Archival Paper

Courtesy of The Stallery

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A Showcase of Young Local Talent

and Yiu Chi Leung, who have all had promising solo and group

exhibitions across the city in recent years

Many of the works in “Young Talent Hong Kong” explore the

aesthetic intersections between light, sound and motion

through a range of traditional, non-traditional and new media

Artist Jovial Yeung works primarily with glass, a visually alluring

material that is both strong and delicate Her work in the “Young

Talent Hong Kong” exhibition, Seed, is a glimmering installation

inspired by the lightness and airiness of dandelions In the work,

two full-length mirrors are placed at a narrow angle to each

other, allowing the refl ections of many individual coloured glass

sculptures in suspension to fi ll up the tight physical space with

kaleidoscopic light

In the same show, artist Vaan Ip’s Lost City No 45 (2016) is a dynamic

stainless steel sculpture that consists of shiny, silvery models

of skyscrapers competing with each other for height – like the

In The DNA (I), Ernest Chang, Digital Print On Archival Paper

SEAL (Magenta) (2015), Ernest Chang

Digital Print On Archival Paper

SEAL (Yellow) (2015), Ernest Chang

SEAL (Blue) (2015), Ernest Chang

SEAL (Green) (2015), Ernest Chang

Seed, Jovial Yeung

Glass and mirror installation

May-June 2016

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competing layers of canopy in a rainforest, but instead refl ing the tightly-packed architecture of a “concrete jungle” Joyce

ect-Lung’s Antiques of Gong Yun (2016) is an installation of porcelain

sculptures in the shapes of cleaning products illustrated with words and drawings that speak to the daily reality, treatment and perception of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong A similar, equally provocative work by Lung was recently on show

in a group exhibition at art space Para Site Ng Sum Chi’s Piece,

Glimpse and Fathom (2016) are paintings of ink and resin with

geometric square and rectangular forms that, as the artist put

it in his introduction, seek to capture the “infi nite expanse” of nature to be found outside ordinary windows

Some of the galleries at the Fair were recently established, participating in a large-scale fair for the fi rst time One of these was The Stallery, a gallery and photography studio on Wan Chai’s historic Stone Nullah Lane The Stallery – whose name is

a portmanteau word combining “gallery” and “studio” – is run

by young Hong Kong artist and photographer Ernest Chang, whose colour-blindness allows him to see the colourful and vibrant metropolis of Hong Kong from a unique perspective

Falsely Implied (II) (2014)

Ernest Chang, Digital Print On Archival Paper

Oyster (2016), James Teong

Digital Print On Canon Archival Paper

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Many of Chang’s works showcase his characteristically

subjec-tive use of colours across the media of digital photography and

painting In his visually alluring works, Chang explores diff

er-ent themes of urban life through manipulating images of the

city, often by adding in elements of structural symmetry and

heightened colour contrasts to highlight the inherent order in

Hong Kong’s seeming urban chaos

Chang’s eye-catching Falsely Implied (2014) series consists of fi ve

complex compositions with overlaid photographic images of

Wan Chai’s street scenes, creating a visual matrix of roads and

buildings both old and new In (I) and (II) of the Falsely Implied

series, the neon-tinged compositions – recalling the vibrant night

lights of a gentrifying neighbourhood – are layered to show

top-bottom and left-right symmetry with light trails behind cars

as central dividing lines This mix of photographic images and

With their varied backgrounds and experiences, these young artists continue to innovate with their diverse

practices, cutting across both traditional and edge media

cutting-stylized, contrastive colours off ers a new and enlivened view of

a historic neighbourhood in the heart of Hong Kong

The highly contrasted colours and imposed symmetry on photographs can be seen in Chang’s other works, including In

the DNA (2015), in which the image of a roller coaster drop is

manipulated into the shape of a double helix Another work,

SEAL (2015), consists of six prints in sharp monochromes

featur-ing an emblematic image of a symmetrical fi gure-eight at the centre Viewers have to do a double-take before realizing that this emblem is formed by identical black-and-white images

of a seal

The Stallery’s presentation also included works by two young illustrators from the Savannah College of Art and Design

(SCAD) in Hong Kong James Toeng’s works, including Whale

Whale (II) (2016), James Teong

A Showcase of Young Local Talent

May-June 2016

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(2016), Oyster (2016) and Rhinos (2016),

are detailed, realistic drawings depicting

their titular creatures set against plainly

coloured or geometric backgrounds, a

compositional strategy that highlights

the artist’s environmental concerns

Purdy Chan’s intimate and fine-lined

drawings depict more hybrid, subjective

images While Butterfl y (2016) and O.K

(2016) are composed of representational

forms of the wingspan of a butterfl y and

a gesturing hand, Abstract (2016) and

Moon (2016) depict more surrealist

imag-ery with anthropomorphic elements

that draw viewers into their imaginative

dimension

Artify Gallery, another exhibitor, showed

local artists Evan Wu and Sarah Tse Evan

Wu’s work spans a wide range of media,

from ink painting to prints to paper cuts,

the latter refl ecting the inspiration she

takes from the traditional elements in her

culturally hybrid surroundings in Hong Kong Her work Herbal

Tea (2012) is an ink painting on paper depicting a top-down

view of a traditional herbal tea vendor in delicate realism,

complete with details of gourd-shaped metal tea dispensers,

fi nely etched Chinese words on a wall menu, drinking bowls

laid out like chess pieces on the tiled table top, and even the

brick-laid sidewalk Rendering these familiar ments of Hong Kong culture realistically in the traditional medium of ink highlights how much such spaces in the city ought to be appreciated and preserved

ele-Also represented by Artify Gallery, Hong born and New York-based artist Sarah Tse showed her detailed, elaborate and highly sensuous work for which she whimsically draws inspiration from childhood memories and

Kong-ephemeral dreams Her etching My Dear Castle

(2015) depicts an intimate dream-scape that combines realistic drawings of a North American antelope, a suspended castle structure rendered with fi ne, brightly hued lines, and a background

in blue with patterns of leaves and branches left white in contrast These seemingly para-doxical and disparate images complement each other in the composition, creating a delicate and sensuous balance in the ambience that rouses the viewers’ imagination and evokes their nostalgia

The Fair was another successful showing of the vibrant works of Hong Kong’s many talented emerging artists With their varied backgrounds and experiences, these young artists continue to innovate with their diverse practices, cutting across both tradi-tional and cutting-edge media as they carve out new dialogues with their city and beyond

Abstract (1) (2016) Purdy Chan

O.K (2016), Purdy Chan

Lost City No.45, Vaan Ip, Installation

Herbal Tea (2012), Evan Wu

Ink on Paper

Courtesy of the artist and Artify Gallery

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A favourite weekend getaway for the Ho

Chi Minh City folk, Vung Tau is somewhat a

curiosity—not quite remote, not quite

sub-urban, quasi-discovered yet splashed with an

appealing simplicity This soon to be discovered

village/city/seaside resort is tucked away on

the tip of a peninsula jutting into the South

China Sea, less than an hour-and-a-half from

the capital As I discovered during a recent

visit, Vung Tau is a treasure trove of

possibil-ity and surprisingly, not swarming with the

post-baby boomer brigade looking for a tame

retirement adventure tinged with just enough

cultural appeal to make it exotic Okay, so

maybe the Aussie contingent (a legacy of the

Vietnam/American war) was lying low during

my brief visit, and perhaps the weekend city

folk were all attending weddings, because

the beaches were virtually empty on the

weekend we were there However, as Vung

Tau held the same appeal during my fi rst and

equally enjoyable visit two years ago, I give

it my thumbs up as a bucket list destination

when visiting Vietnam

Popping down from HCMC where we were

catching a fl ight back to Canada in a few days

time, we took the opportunity to visit a high

school friend who was working in Vung Tau’s

(still) thriving off -shore oil industry Along with

the invitation to visit, we were fortunate to

Vung Tau…and how!

This seaside village tucked away on the tip of a peninsula jutting into the South China Sea is a treasure trove for those seeking an adventure

Text and Photos Elaine Crebo

May-June 2016

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