Hong Kong painter draws inspiration from the vibrant city’s recent history
- 30 Mar 2025
At Hong Kong’s Art Basel, painter Chow Chun-fai’s new works transport viewers back to the night in 1997 when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule, displayed in the very exhibition centre where one era ended and another began. That transformation in the city’s post-colonial era has taken a drastic turn since 2020, when China imposed a national security law that virtually wiped out dissent. The law drove many middle-class families and young professionals, including artists, to emigrate to democracies like Britain, Canada, Taiwan and the US from what was once a haven for free expression in Asia.
But others, like Chow, chose to stay and continue to document their home city despite unclear red lines. His works at Art Basel, which opened to the public on Friday, revisit Hong Kongers’ collective memories of the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time many were proud of the Chinese financial hub’s vibrancy and openness.
“While studying art, we’ve learned many artists faced momentous times. Since we are living through such a momentous time ourselves now, I will continue to learn from it,” he said in an interview ahead of the exhibition.
Chow is perhaps best known to those outside art circles for his witty recreations of classic movie scenes with bilingual subtitles that lead audiences to reflect on Hong Kong’s history and identity. He was also in the news when he ran against pro-establishment candidates in the 2012 legislative election and the 2016 election committee race, though he ultimately lost both contests. At Art Basel, Chow’s paintings revisit significant news events, from the 1997 handover and overseas trips made by former top Chinese leaders to the celebration of China becoming the host of the 2008 Olympic Games. His works center on some of the biggest news stories covered by Sharon Cheung, a former journalist and now local gallery director.
In 2000, late former Chinese President Jiang Zemin berated Cheung for asking what he called “too simple, sometimes naive” questions. She’d asked Jiang if his support for then-Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa gave the impression of an imperial-style appointment. One of Chow’s paintings illustrates that scene.
Another set of Chow’s paintings that will be shown, titled “Panda,” captures Jiang’s personality from another side, documenting his light-hearted response to a question about pandas during a 2002 US trip. He replied in English with a laugh: “I’m sorry, I am an electrical power engineer.” Zhang said he was not a panda expert and quoted a Confucian saying about the virtue of acknowledging what one doesn’t know. Chow said he included the work in the exhibition because pandas have become a trending topic in Hong Kong, where twins born last year sparked a bear craze. Jiang’s response shows the characteristics of Chinese leaders back then, he said.
Some 20 years later, Chinese leaders no longer have such open exchanges with Hong Kong journalists. Last year, China’s government even eliminated an annual news conference by the premier, one of the rare times a top Chinese leader took questions from journalists.
In Hong Kong, Beijing has doubled down on its control following 2019 anti-government protests. Many leading pro-democracy activists were prosecuted and jailed under the security law. Apple Daily and Stand News, news outlets known for their critical reports of the government, were shut down in 2021 after their top editors were arrested. The cultural sector has felt the chilling effect. Booksellers practice self-censorship at the city’s book fair, and local libraries in 2023 pulled titles related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing and some political figures. Cheung, director of SC Gallery, said people have become more cautious about expressing their thoughts, but that she and Chow will not let fear stop them. Art’s sense of distance allows room for interpretation, Cheung said.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong kicked off its most popular sporting event the Rugby Sevens on Friday and hosting international art fair Art Basel as part of a tourism drive that authorities hope will boost visits to the Asian financial hub. The Chinese-controlled territory has seen tourists increasingly return since last year following three years of strict COVID-19 restrictions that led to an exodus of expatriates and dragged down visitor numbers.
In 2024, arrivals had rebounded to 68% of the record levels of 2018, but the city faces challenges in fully reviving the industry due to heightened air ticket prices and a worker shortage that have made it harder to compete with rival destinations such as Singapore, according to industry experts. The Hong Kong government’s “Super March” tourism promotions are designed to provide a major stimulus for the sector.
The Cathay Pacific and HSBC sponsored Rugby Sevens event, held at the city’s new Kai Tak stadium, has sold a record number of tickets, including all suites and corporate boxes, in an indicator of corporate demand, its organiser said.The Sevens, which runs from Friday to Sunday, has seen strong overseas demand for hotels, with bookings during the period exceeding normal overseas growth rates by 20%, according to the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners.
Art Basel, which is also being held from Friday to Sunday, has exceeded expectations with growth of more than 130% year-on-year driven by strong performances from East and Southeast Asian countries, said Caspar Tsui, the federation’s executive director.
Provisional visitor numbers for January and February rose 7% year-on-year according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, which added that the number of non-mainland Chinese visitors surged 20% to 1.91 million. The Philippines, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea all posted year-on-year growth of more than 30% for the first two months of this year, the tourism board said, adding that Australia showed an “exceptional boost of 34%” in tourist numbers to Hong Kong during that period.
Agencies