Rosanna Li’s work is characterized by smooth, fluid lines, as well as by very down-to-earth, localized subject matter. She often takes Hong Kong as a theme, using what she sees, hears, and feels as a source of artistic inspiration. This, coupled with Li’s longtime experience in working and creating with clay as a medium, makes her art have a great sense of intimacy for local viewers.
After casually dabbling in sketching and drawing comics in her youth, Li later developed a passion for clay. In her hands, clay is as malleable and handy as a paintbrush is to a painter. Her ability to manipulate and mold the material has allowed her to create highly vivid characters, full of verve and humour.
In 2016, Li spent three months in Japan, where she relished the opportunity to explore the medium of clay further and immerse herself in a new lifestyle, far from the familiar comforts of home. Inspired by her experiences abroad, and using techniques that she had been experimenting with, she produced a new series of work during this period.
The exhibition focuses on the usual features of Li’s art and her concern towards Hong Kong social issues, especially concerning housing problems. Another theme of the exhibition is the relationship between objects and the environment. Apart from the ceramic pieces, this exhibition also features some installations with ready-made objects, to provide visitors with fresh perspectives into Li’s oeuvre.
Dr Tang Ying Chi
Curator
Having been a ceramics artist for many years, I consistently and regularly made pairs of chubby male and female figurines. Time and time again, I tried adding more heft to them, only to find them too clumsy-looking. Then I tried to slim them down, but found them too thin. Ultimately, they are still a long way away from my ideal of portly, down-to-earth simple folk; hence my constant efforts to perfect their form. The process of finding the ‘ideal’ balance in my figures has been endlessly fascinating and has given me infinite joy. As Confucius said, ‘Is it not happiness to study and to practise what you have learnt?’
From August to November 2016, I went to Shigaraki (one of the six ancient kilns of Japan) to participate in their Artist-in-Residence Programme at the Shigaraki Cultural Ceramics Park. There was so much for me to learn every day in the company of distinguished ceramicists from Japan, and all over the world. It was an eye-opening experience. Life at Shigaraki was simple, peaceful, disciplined, and steady. The three months passed quickly, and eventually it was time for me to leave. Apart from my newfound friends and lifestyle, what I found hard to say goodbye to was the unpredictability that came with wood firing, which brought me back to the unsettled emotions after each firing that I used to feel when I first started working with clay — the experience of happiness ‘in the making!’
Many of the pieces in this exhibition are from my Shigaraki trip, and although it has been over a year, the happiness that I experienced there is still with me. It is said that everyone has their own ‘Shangri-La’ — I am so fortunate to have found mine.
Rosanna Li Wei Han
Rosanna Li Wei Han is a Hong Kong ceramicist and design educator, well known for her whimsical clay works of people going about their daily affairs. Although her trademark male and female figures are plump in defiance of today’s aesthetic standards, they are endowed with a nimble grace and good humour.
Li’s robust ceramic figures have a certain rustic charm. Depicting the sense of contentment and vitality of simple folk, her works are often filled with wit and humour, reflecting her keen observation and sensitivity to people and events in the community. Other than clay, she also collects ready-made objects to make installations. Her work can be satirical at times, critically questioning and challenging established conventions and the status quo of society by skillfully playing with puns and parodies.
She is a Museum Expert Advisor of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and a founding member and former chairperson of the Contemporary Ceramics Society (HK). Since 1983, Li has held 15 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 170 group exhibitions. Her works are widely exhibited in Hong Kong, Macau, and the Mainland (including Xian, Beijing, Shanghai, Jingdezhen, Hangzhou, Foshan, and Guangzhou), and overseas (including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Australia, Canada, USA, France, and UK). Her work can be found in the collections of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Guangdong Museum of Art, the Shiwan Ceramic Museum, the Zhejiang Museum of Art, and the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum. Among Li’s many awards are the 1985 Hong Kong Urban Council Fine Art Award in Ceramics; the 1999 Sculptor of the Year Award; the 2005 Commendation Medal for Achievements in the Promotion of Arts and Culture from the Secretary for Home Affairs; and the 2013 Hong Kong Federation of Women “Hong Kong Women of Excellence in the Six Arts Award” in Visual Arts (Sculpture/Ceramics). She was a finalist of the 2016 Sovereign Asian Art Prize Competition.
Li studied ceramics at the Hong Kong Polytechnic, and then pursued her undergraduate studies in Art Education at the University of Liverpool. She later earned a Diploma in Art Education from the University of London Institute of Education, a Master’s Degree in Educational Management from the Cheltenham & Gloucester College and a Master’s Degree in Cultural Studies from Lingnan University. From 1990 to 2010 she taught at the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and worked there as a visiting lecturer from 2010-2016. In 2016, she was a participant of the Shigaraki Cultural Ceramics Park Artist-in-Residence Programme of Shigaraki, Japan.
3:30 pm Ceremony (Refreshments after Ceremony)
4:15 - 5:15 pm Gallery Tour
Ping Yuan and Kinmay W Tang Gallery
Officiating Guests
Mr Tang Hoi Chiu, Former Chief Curator, Hong Kong Museum of Art; Member, Culture Promotion Committee, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Ms Rosanna Li Wei Han, Artist
Prof Wei Shyy, Acting President, HKUST
Ms Diana Chan, University Librarian, HKUST
Gallery Tour
The tours will be guided by Ms Rosanna LI, who will introduce the unique features of her exhibits and elaborate on the design and technical processes in creating these art pieces. She will also discuss the inspirations for creating her figurines, and explain the underlying themes of the exhibition.
Dates
- 28 Feb, Wed, 12-1 pm (in Cantonese)
- 14 Mar, Wed, 1-2 pm (in English)
HKUST students may attain 1 hour credit for the HLTH1010 Healthy Lifestyle Course after attending each tour.
Date: 8 March 2018 (Thu)
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Venue: Multi-function Room, LG4, Lee Shau Kee Library
Presenter: Ms Rosanna Li
Language: Cantonese (supplemented with English)
Registration: https://lbcube.ust.hk/ce/index.php/event/5039/
This talk and demonstration session aims at enhancing participants’ understanding of, and interest in, the ceramic art through an insight into the development and underlying meaning of the artist’s works.
Contents:
- An overview of the artist works
- Sharing of the artist’s experience from the Artist-in-Residence Program in Shigaraki, Japan
- Demonstration of kneading and making of clay figurines and slabs
- Hands-on experience for participants to design their own “toast” (bring pen and paper)
Q & A
Participants are encouraged to visit the exhibition “Happiness in the Making- An Exhibition of Rosanna Li Wei Han” before attending this session.
HKUST students may attain 1.5 hours credit for the HLTH1010 Healthy Lifestyle Course after attending the talk and demonstration.
A Dialogue with Rosanna Li
Date: 24 February 2018 (Sat)
Time: 3 – 5 pm
Venue: Ping Yuan and Kinmay W Tang Gallery, Lee Shau Kee Library
Moderator: Dr Tang Ying Chi
Guests: Dr Vivian Ting, Independent researcher
Ms Annie Wan, Assistant Professor, Academic of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University
Language: Cantonese
Registration: https://lbcube.ust.hk/ce/index.php/event/5053/
Rosanna’s work is familiar to most of us, but there are still some details in the process of creation needed to be discovered, such as the relationship between the material and the artist, ceramic art as a medium for personal expression/narration, the significance of the Shigaraki Residency, the juxtaposition of ready-made objects and hand-built sculpture, etc. Two invited guests, Dr Vivian Ting and Ms Annie Wan, together with the curator, Dr Tang Ying Chi, will discuss with Rosanna more about creativity in this Dialogue.
HKUST students may attain 2 hours credit for the HLTH1010 Healthy Lifestyle Course after attending.
- 藝術家者, 敢為人之所不敢為, 不屑為 , 不願為者也。
- 有很多童年時的物件 , 令我回憶起自己小時侯也看過一些迷理淘書 , ABC通粉等等 ，我很喜愛這位藝術家的想法和用法。
- Dearest Rosanna. What a successful exhibition. I love every piece.
- 多謝您的展覧 ! 讓人有种想一想 , 停一停………思考生活的一些………但願我們的生活中 , 常常有”天使”默之為伴…..安慰有需要的人……願世界和平….
- Rosanna, “人來瘋”比我嘅感受最多, 好能反影時下。依家嘅人真喺好似忘記左書本嘅重要 , 好似窮得只有電話。我喺個喜觀書嘅人 , 有時活喺現世, 就好似有啲怪既感覺 , 就好似作品中 , 愛讀的書的二人一樣。你的作品讓每個人都有感覺和共噙 !
- 很喜歡你的作品 . 人物很可愛 . 讓人會心一笑 . Post 諷刺意味很有深度, 書中自有…….每個人都有不同的答案.
- 我喜欢你的建築 , 艺朮方面的书 , 每一本我都想駐足 , 看完 , 你的藏书发掘了我这方面的兴趣 , 本來我也十分喜欢。你的胖陶人让我覺得挺有福气的 , 看着很幸福很滿足的表情。
- 謝謝你這個展覧 ! 喜欢您的幽默和率直 !
- 您的作品創意很perfect. I love them really.
- 艺术无形 , 引領我们走一条从心的路 , 我喜欢茶餐廳的座椅 , 謝謝你的展出 !
- 可愛的胖陶公仔 ! 也從書堆中找到建築藝術的美妙 ! 久维了的；建築；大半生未能在此進修圓夢 , 只能继續；欣賞；之 !
- 都超级可愛 , 很好看 ! 希望下次还能觀看 , 且分享受你们的新作品 ! 加油 !
- Rosanna, 喜歡欣賞你的作品和空間设計 !
- 学而時习之 , 被工艺震憾到了 , 每一个细节都是心意和新意 !
- 感謝您將這组作品帶入科大 , 每個圓潤的小人部讓人感覺很親切 , 像是在科大的一角偶遇了一個自己 , 可以在这个書堆的小世界停下忙碌的步伐。其實我也有過一个做雕塑家的梦想 , 將对生活的思考形體化, 也讓其它人能一起思考 , 學而時習之 , 不亦悅乎 !
- 胖胖的人兒给人感覺憨厚和譪 , 用陶土做的小人都有种復古的味道 , 整個展廳都给我親切温馨感覺 , 能在忙碌中靜下心來看書 , 看展品 .Thank you .
- Thank you for your works. They remind us what it means to read, rather than ；study； The environment, emotion, attitude and of course, the book, all count. When everything’s right, it’d be a stimulating and enjoyable experience !
- 謝謝李老師對藝術的堅持及火熱 , 雖源於您對師長的欣賞 , 薪火相傳 下就是留我發現的一片廣闊天地喔 , 互勉 !
- Thanks for Lib arrangement for these activities for UST members to learn more about art & life.
- Thanks for Rosanna’s sharing and the staff’s full support and coordination, making this event a success – very insightful, full of heartfelt passion from the artist, she enables students to know art can be developed from details of our lives, and that we can learn to observe and appreciate various art forms, while art can be less distant and abstract from us as many might have expected
- 這是一個可貴的經驗，藝術家能開放地探討作品的故事和創作的心得，甚至乎設計展場的構思。希望日後也能參與類似的活動
- Outstanding exhibition of Property Ads. People from hundreds of years later will find our perverse money culture very interesting. This is a great snap shot of how ridiculous our world is and a great reminder to future humans that there’s no limit to human greed. This collection should go into our History museum.
- Absolutely love the exhibition! Makes you smile
- Very nice pictures and sculptures. I wish I could make them. Excellent! Very nice pictures and special sculptures. The way that they are pretended make them look very realistic.
- Absolutely Amazing Work!
- Dear Rosanna, 很喜欢你的作品，每次看完都令人有心微笑的感覺，今次能聽到你創作的想法及展覽配置的各种考慮，很佩服，獲益良多。Thank you.
- Dear Rosanna, I heard about this exhibition from a friend outside HKUST, and as a student here I’m so happy to have had the chance to see the clay work. The realistic happy & chubby demeanor of these have been a mood uplighter for me (as a student to be honest that’s a lot. UST tends to tire us all out) Anyways, I hope you always keep up with finding and sharing your happiness, and I thank you for helping me see a glimpse of mine.
- Dear Rosanna, your work is humble and warm and deeply moving. It is like a warm hug after a tiring day.
- 很有趣，參觀完畢，心裹充滿歡愉 ! 趣 ! 美! 真!
- 很精彩，有意思的一個展覽 ，每個展品陶公仔也好可愛 ! 很喜歡你的作品，希望繼續看到你的展覽 !
- Rosanna, Insights for crudity!
- 人生的演譯，香港生活的反思。
- Absolutely love the exhibition! Perfectly captures the daily life of Hong Kong people with an extra dose of happiness, which makes you smile. Keep up the incredible work!
- An insightful and light-hearted look at city life through your own cheerful characters. Lots of fun!
- I love how eye-pleasing in their cheerful simplicity these chubby faces are. Thanks for an unexpected art dose or my way to the library. A friend back home works with clay as well, if you’re interested visit “Manufacturing Breezy Niepowtarzalne” however unpronounceable it seems.
- 作品背後的故事十分有意義，令人聯想更多。
- 很喜歡你作品的一些小巧思，帶出了不少的道理，也謝謝你仔细的解說! 請繼續為我們帶來更多的作品!
- 我認為你的作品當中的想法十分有意義，我們身處香港經常被教導讀書便是為了有高學歷去找更好的工作，但人們往往容易忽略了自己的夢想及理想，而您的作品中令我反思到底應該為了自己的興趣去努力還是向現實低頭，讀未來會較高薪的工作。
- Dear Rosanna, It’s wonderful to have chance to see your exhibition again. Always have a lot of reflection after seeing your art work. I especially like the property Ads. It makes everyone reflect on the values of Hong Konger.
- You can always look at things from an interesting angle! Very inspiring!
- Creativity + Interest = Career for life. How magnificent it is!
Ping Yuan and Kinmay W Tang Gallery
Library Hours