Eric So: The Storyteller

EVENT DESCRIPTION

From 1 to 21 September, Bonhams Hong Kong presents Eric So: The Storyteller, a selling exhibition of a new painting series by the Hong Kong artist. All works from the show are fresh-to-market and are never-before-seen in public.

The exhibition showcases more than 30 works of acrylic on canvas, each representing the silhouette of a well-known cartoon or anime character. But just when viewers begin to seek the visual details to confirm the character’s identity, one will find – and only find – anything but the clues that they need. Instead, what they see is the rear of the work painted in ultra-realism: the exposed back frame, the stretcher, and the many labels. Intrigued, the viewer is prompted to turn the painting over, futilely looking for its ‘front’ and the answer, but the answer lies on neither side. As we end up resorting to our own memory to fill the canvas and confirm our guess, the search for what’s real becomes the search for what we think is real. This exhibition tells not only the story of these famous characters, but also of our own memory, experience and emotions with them – we are our own storyteller.

Marcello Kwan, Bonhams Head of Modern and Contemporary Art Asia, commented: “I vividly remember the first time I laid my eyes on these paintings: I had to step to the back of them, thinking that I would see the front there. Needless to say, I was caught right out by Eric’s intention. This may be a show about appearance and reality, about what’s real and what’s not; But more importantly, it offers a chance to seek an answer that may well have been sitting inside us all along. I strongly recommend everyone to visit our show in person, as Eric did leave a hint to tell us who each silhouette is. Where is it? It’s beyond the front and the back and up to you to find out.”

Sharing his thoughts on this series, Eric So said: “I enjoy going to the museum and have never failed to be impressed by what I saw there, not only because of the techniques behind each work, but the intention and the vision of the artist, as well as that particular frame of history and culture that it encapsulated and distinctly shaped the creation in front of me. If art is a vessel, it is filled with stories – they are storytellers. Now with this show, I’m inviting you all to tell your story with me.”

A forerunner in creating designer toys, Hong Kong-born artist Eric So gained international fame with his world touring exhibition of “The Art of Bruce Lee” in 1998. His signature humour and realist sculpting techniques have led him to many collaborations with celebrities and pop icons, including: Big Bang, Jay Chou, Edison Chen, Michael Jordan, as well as brands such as Coca Cola, Disney, Toyota, Nike, Meiji and Sony Music. Apart from being a full-time artist, Eric is also Creative Director of his creative studio Papamamason.