written by John
Batten
Dec 23, 2008
South China Morning
Post
Gallery Benten 17
Charity exhibitions
mean well but the art can sometimes be uneven. Gallery Benten 17's Wonderland
celebrates Christmas with a group show featuring local and Japanese artists who
will donate some of the proceeds to the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong
Kong.
Photographs,
paintings, ceramics and sculptures are displayed as individual pieces rather
than being thematically arranged.
Tang Kwok-hin has a
fascinating mixed-media construction depicting his version of human evolution.
Using small cartoons as a base, he uses paper cutouts to show animals standing
on different levels according to their evolutionary complexity: fish are at the
lowest level and man is at the top.
Tang suggests this
is a dubious attainment, considering the environmental flashpoint our species
has engineered.
A small, beautiful
painting of objects on a tabletop by Christine Ng Mien-yin accompanies two
drawings analysing the form of a painting by French artist Pierre Bonnard that
hangs in a gallery in London. The artist's abstract version of the work retains
the form of the original and is an intelligent exploration of the subject.
Simone Boon is a
hard-working artist in both ceramics and photography. On display is some of her
photography, which is similar to Ng's work, an exploration of form and in
shades of blue.
Wonderland is
patchy as an exhibition, but it offers a simple message for the season: Merry
Christmas!
G/F, 17 Wa In Fong
East (at 12 Shing Wong Street). Wed to Fri, 3.30pm-7pm; Sat-Sun, 1pm-6pm
(closed public holidays). Inquiries: 2559 0054. Ends Dec 31
