Exhibition Statement
“Fish are falling from the sky today, just like rain”, an advertisement pops up on Klara’s screen.
“What’s the point, I’m not leaving until ten anyway,” she snaps on the mouse and tickles the keyboard with her polished fingers.
It’s a fine day and the patterns of the Sun are illuminating the pale walls with their unusual intensity: A deep orange triangle hovers above the desk, a curved line crosses the bookshelf, and brilliant bars spread across the blue carpet. But Klara, in her seat, is in shadow like an ancient statue, as are many other parts of the office. Bright and sunny, her dying cactus rejoices under nourishment – until the shadows start moving, as she pulls the blinds down.
On the street corner below, the Sun has drawn a diagonal line across its face, creating a triangle that is almost white and another that is very dark. An orange cat emerges. Its sunkissed hair shimmers as it disappears into a crowd of black suits.
An army of fish descends from the sky. A lot of fish. Mostly sardines, with a few mackerel mixed in…
A text, an image, and a memory, collaged with fragments of life. From the characters in a narrative to the sceneries along the road, pigeons tapping on a window, a desk at home, a corner of a masterpiece, and a plump cat from home—interpretation, replication, deconstruction, reconstruction, and transformation occur between memories, images, and text. Throughout this process, things may change, grow, or diminish. “Klara and the Orange Cat” exists as an entanglement between text and everyday life.
Klara and the Orange Cat — Exhibition at The Gallery of Hong Kong Art School
Exhibition Period: 5 Dec 2024 – 8 Feb 2025
Time: 11am – 8pm (Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays)
Venue: The Gallery of Hong Kong Art School (10/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong)
Artists: Kitty Kong, Alex Heung
Opening Reception:
Date:6 Dec 2024
Time: 6-8pm
Kitty Kong
Kong Chun Nga (Kitty) is an artist based in Hong Kong. She completed her BAFA at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (co-presented with Hong Kong Art School) in 2017 and graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2020 with an MA in English (Literary Studies). Using acrylic and mixed media on paper, her works linger in the ambiguous spaces between entrapment and freedom within the urban landscape.
As an enthusiast of both painting and literature, she has created artworks for Bleak House Books, the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, and CUHK Press. Her works are included in the collections of Bleak House Books and private collectors.
Alex Heung
Alex Heung is an artist and art educator who graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a Master of Fine Art degree. Through themes of nature and animals, his artwork explores the transformation of society, nature, and the self. His works have been exhibited in Hong Kong and internationally, and they are part of the collections of the Hong Kong Museum of Art as well as private collectors.
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Since he was a child, he has enjoyed sketching, painting, and scribbling on textbooks, but now he prefers to draw on canvases and meeting minutes. As a lover of books, movies, and music, he immerses himself both in the worlds of other people and his own. Deers, sparrows, rhinoceros, and cats, especially orange cats, are some of his favorite animals. His fascination also extends to merry-go-rounds, in which space constantly spirals but remains static. He does not know whether his love for coffee is a result of body needs, cultural influences, or psychological factors. It is his favorite place to stroll along Glasgow’s canal, home to swans,
birds, dogs, and foxes, where he encounters small bars and cafes. He is an avid fan of Dolly the cloned sheep, which was the inspiration for his first piece of art created as a student. A portion of his brain enjoys calculating geometric structures, while another enjoys casual, ambiguous expressions. Words are necessary to give clarity to half of his thoughts, and the remaining half will vanish once they are put into words.