Hong Kong Art Attack

When the name Hong Kong comes, the first thing that comes to mind is its arts and crafts. For centuries, Chinese arts and craft have formed a significant part of China's total exports. In Hong Kong, ancient Chinese arts and craft are widely available in several department stores and retailers in Wan Chai, Kowloon, and in Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong's close proximity to China enables these artefacts to be brought in for sale. Furthermore, the cost of manufacturing in Hong Kong is much too high. Hong Kong is a city that has the mixture of both Eastern and Western flavour. Various ancient artefacts of Chinese tradition still exist in the city. Porcelain, embroidery, brocade, carpets, jade products, carvings and paper decorations called 'scissor-cuts' are considered traditional Chinese arts and craft.

 

Still Art

Carving

The art of carving is also very popular tradition in Hong Kong, China. Different types of materials like wood, bone, jade, rock, bamboo and many more things are used for this process. Though, these arts and crafts are practiced all over China, Beijing is specially known for its jade carvings. This category of carving was originated during the Ming Dynasty. Ivory balls featuring legendary figures come from Guangzhou, stone carvings from Shoushan in Fujian Province, bamboo carvings from Huangyan in Zhejiang Province, and the high-quality ink slabs are made in Duanxi and Zhaoqing in Guangdong.

 

Scissor-Cuts

Another very famous art form is the 'scissor-cuts', which is an art of cutting papers and decorating them. This form of art was originated in the rural areas of China and is in fact an art of the women. The women of the rural areas involve in this creative work just prior to the Lunar New Year. Scissor-cut patterns include animals, fruits, flowers, and characters from ancient Chinese folktales or operas, often with themes of good harvests, prosperity, and happiness and then decorate their windows with those.

 

 

Embroidery

Hong Kong is home to various industries based on arts and crafts. However, embroidery and brocade industries dominate the city. Not only in Hong Kong, but also in the whole of China, these industries are spread all around. The ancient embroideries and brocades have been of excellent quality since the days of trade on the Silk Road. The Silk Road was the route for most trades between China and other countries. China's embroidery and brocade make up the largest part of the arts and craft industry.

 

Porcelain

The most prominent porcelain ware is from Jingdezhen County in Jiangxi Province of central China, which has earned the moniker the 'capital of porcelain'. The blue and white porcelain is fine and smooth like those made in the times of the Yuan Dynasty. The colourful styles were also inherited from the rich artistry of the Qing Dynasty during its most auspicious period.

 

There are new crafts from China that have prevailed these days. Artificial decorative flowers made in brocade, silk, paper, feather, plastic, and synthetics are becoming more fashionable. Miniature paintings on shells, feathers, tree barks, deer horns, and even thin strands of wheat straw are also recommended souvenirs and gift items.

 

Performing Arts

Canto-pop

Cantonese pop, or Canto-pop in short, has set the scene for the youths of Hong Kong since the late 1980s. Ironically, life for most traditional professional artists is hard, as the local society is commercially oriented and way too busy to appreciate serious art. Fortunately, the government and its citizens are slowly learning to value high-quality arts with the growing affluence of the city. In total, there are about eight prominent professional groups in Hong Kong and hundreds of other amateur companies. The more profound groups are the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Dance Company. The Academy for Performing Arts in Wan Chai, which was established in 1985, is one of the top performing arts schools in Asia. Major cultural events include the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Fringe Festival.

 

Chinese Opera

Chinese opera is a cardinal institution in Chinese entertainment and culture. In spite of the fact that its popularity is decreasing in today's modern society, it is almost obligatory during important festivals on the Chinese calendar. A distinct feature of Chinese opera is the makeup, movements, props, and colourful costumes. These features identify an actor's age, sex, and personality the moment he or she appears on stage. Traditional opera performances in Hong Kong are referred to as sunkung opera (god's eulogy opera), as they are performed to celebrate festivals or commemorate birthdays of numerous gods. Most of these performances are related to Taoism and Buddhism. It is especially during the Hungry Ghost Festival in the month of August that the operas are staged together with other activities to atone the sins of the dead. On each occasion, performances last up to five days.

 

There are many festivals, foundations and centres promoting Art in Hong Kong. Just a few of them are listed below.

Public Art Hong Kong (PAHK) is a non-profit organization with an aim to nurture and promote public art in Hong Kong. Public art stands for art objects exhibited in public areas or outside museums and galleries and it belongs to the public. It can take various forms, the most traditional of which are sculptures and murals. New forms include videos, happenings and even social events.

The Hong Kong Art Centre, self funded, presents both kinds of art forms featuring local and overseas artists. They hold art festivals and exhibitions throughout the year.

The Hong Kong Art Festival is an international art fest showcasing the best Asian and local talents.

The Hong Kong Art Development Centre, set up by the government to establish Hong Kong as a dynamic and diverse cultural metropolis. Their aim is to foster a thriving art environment and enhance the quality of like of the public.

The Hong Kong Museum of Art promotes Art and the cultural heritage of China. They have a collection of over 15,000 art objects and paintings.

Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts is a leading institution of Art education in Asia.