Since the national security law was implemented in 2020, there has been a mass exodus from Hong Kong fearing for the tightened grip on freedom. Besides activists, a lot of those fleeing are ordinary people leaving simply because of disillusionment with a city they love but no longer recognise.
In this abstract and minimalistic work, the artist portrays people leaving their home town and subtly reflects their complex emotions: some are bring forced, some are desperate, some are sad. Spaceship, the crowd, a flag, the Lion Rock..... The symbolism hidden in the artwork await for readers to observe and decode.
Artist +-
WONG Chiu-tat Justin
"I hope my works could be part of the history of Hong Kong. Hopefully they could help people to overcome the pain they suffered in the movement."
Clean, minimalist, to the point… Justin Wong’s work is a faithful documentary, a gold mine of the subtle symbols representing the social movement in Hong Kong. The artist's background in creating comics allows him to convey a concise story on a single canvas. The subtlety of his work often evokes more questions than answers for his audiences.
A well-known and active political comic columnist, Justin Wong has been publishing his political comic column Gei Gei Gaak Gaak in a local newspaper Ming Pao since 2007. Since the social movement, Justin's works about the movement have been cited by BBC and Quartz to represent protest art from the city.
Justin received his Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Master of Arts (Interactive Digital Media) in Ravensbourne College of Design and Community in London. Wong began his career as comic writer and illustrator in 2006 and started to publish his political comic column. His publications include "Lonely Planet", "Hello World", "New Hong Kong" and "Je Préférerais Ne Pas". He is now an Assistant Professor in the Academy of Visual Arts in Hong Kong Baptist University. His comic work was featured in a recent exhibition in France about pro-democracy movements internationally.
Print medium: Printed, using the giclée method, on Agawamoo Bamboo fine art paper - 170 gsm matt paper made from a mix of 70% bamboo + 30% recycled pulp. 100% made/coated/packaged exclusively at Awagami Factory in Tokushima, Japan, this paper is 100% ecological. It is handmade for beautiful print output and archival longevity.
Frame: Artwork is printed with 15mm border without a frame.
Shipping: We currently ship to the UK and Continental Europe only, with a delivery duration of 4-7 business days within UK and 7-10 business days across Continental Europe. Delivery to Europe will be subjected to additional import VAT and duties to be paid to the courier directly.