# data[].attributes.headline
WAN, Lai Kuen Annie and her work, "Tung Zan Baak Fo"

# data[].attributes.subject
WAN, Lai Kuen Annie and her work, "Tung Zan Baak Fo"

# data[].attributes.body
"A successive work of Zan Baak Fo, Tung Zan Baak Fo (“Tung” means “children” in Cantonese), was exhibited at the Hong Kong Museum of Art as part of the Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint exhibition.

For this latest exhibition, Ms Wan transformed a range of children’s toys, from yellow rubber ducks to a Buzz Lightyear doll, into ceramic items. Through Tung Zan Baak Fo, Ms Wan aims to reveal how art pieces are monetised, and how they can be converted to deliver humanistic care. By donating to a specified charity, visitors can obtain tokens to exchange for a piece of art, demonstrating the interchangeability of artwork and social care."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Art is held in high regard in our culture, but an item's worth is often measured by its monetary value. Renowned ceramic artist Ms Annie Wan Lai- kuen, Assistant Professor of the Academy of Visual Arts at HKBU, tried to break the norm through her interactive exhibition, Zan Baak Fo, with ceramic items portraying daily commodities displayed alongside real merchandise on the shelves of a grocery store.

Exhibited from mid-December 2018 to late January 2019, Zan Baak Fo was the first art exhibition of JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power arts festival, and presented across the city by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the purpose of this arts festival is to showcase Hong Kong's most internationally celebrated artists to the community.

The exhibition name Zan Baak Fo is a phonetic transcription in Cantonese. "Zan" means "precious" in Cantonese, and is a homophone of "authentic". The word also implies artwork, often sold at a high price in auctions or art fairs. On the other hand, "Baak Fo" covers a range of affordable, everyday goods. Thus, the name fuses two contradictory concepts, representing the tension between them throughout the exhibition.

"Real" vs "fake"

"Does art come with a price?" This is a question Ms Wan wanted to explore with the public through Zan Baak Fo. She incorporated her art pieces into a local grocery store in Ping Shek Estate. Ceramic replicas of over 30 common grocery items, such as various types of vegetables, canned foods and cartons of milk, were created in Jingdezhen, a Chinese city famous for its porcelain. These ceramic pieces of art were displayed side by side with merchandise typically found in the store, highlighting the coexistence of art and daily life. The art pieces were also exhibited in an art gallery in Sheung Wan. The two contrasting venues played with the idea of the value of art, with pieces sold at the same price as the original consumer goods that inspired them. "When an art piece is sold at the price of a can of coke, everyone can experience being an art collector," says Ms Wan. She hopes visitors can rethink how we determine the value of art, beyond measuring it in monetary terms.

Another area Ms Wan set out to explore through Zan Baak Fo is the relationship between "real" and "fake". German philosopher Walter Benjamin suggested that "the aura of a work of art is devalued by mechanical reproduction". However, in the case of ceramics, the original objects, or the "real" objects, used as the prototype in moulding are much lower in price than their mass reproduced replicas, i.e. the "fake" objects. This seems to counter Benjamin's theory as the aura of the ceramic item is enhanced rather than devalued in the process. Ms Wan added that in Zan Baak Fo the "fake" objects were placed in their "real" setting of a grocery store so that people could easily relate them to their "real" counterpart, revealing yet another dimension of this art exhibition.

Zan Baak Fo is incorporated into a local grocery store in Ping Shek Estate Ceramic art pieces on display alongside everyday consumer goods An art gallery in Sheung Wan serves as the other exhibition venue
Community engagement

Zan Baak Fo is an extension of Ms Wan's exhibition Everyday a rainbow in the 11th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea. For that exhibition, she transformed a small cabin outside the exhibition hall into a visually attractive rainbow with colourful packaging from everyday products. For the second part of her exhibition, she replaced the everyday goods found in shops along the main road towards the exhibition hall with replicas made of blue green celadon. Since the entrance ticket to the Gwangju Biennale is quite expensive, Ms Wan hoped that by transforming this pathway used mostly by residents the local neigbourhood could enjoy her artwork free of charge.

Community engagement is a running theme of Ms Wan's work. For this reason she picked Ping Shek Estate as one of the venues of Zan Baak Fo. " Ping Shek Estate is close to my office at the Kai Tak Campus of HKBU. The neighbourly relationships captivate me. I hope to preserve this kind of social bond, which is increasingly rare in today's Hong Kong." Integrating art into a local grocery store successfully attracted people to visit this old estate and enjoy art with residents of the estate.
Everyday goods in shops along the main road towards the Gwangju Tung Zan Baak Fo is presented in the Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art A small cabin is transformed into a rainbow with the colourful packaging of everyday products in Everyday a rainbow Biennale exhibition hall are replaced with replicas made of blue green celadon
Converting art into care

During the exhibition period, posts on Zan Baak Fo went viral on social media, effectively drawing public attention to local ceramic art. Almost 10,000 visitors visited the exhibitions, and a forum and three ceramic workshops were also held to foster art education. When the art pieces were available for purchase during the latter stage of the exhibition, in just two days around 1,000 pieces were sold, with the majority sold on the first day. Ms Wan noticed that some netizens created their own derivative works with the art pieces they bought, for example, a picture of a ceramic vegetable inside the refrigerator as if it was an edible plant. It would appear that the project's primary goal of promoting art was achieved.

In recognition of her creative work, Ms Wan was named Artist of the Year (Visual Arts) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2018. A successive work of Zan Baak Fo, Tung Zan Baak Fo ("Tung" means "children" in Cantonese), was exhibited at the Hong Kong Museum of Art as part of the Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint exhibition.
Children's toys are transformed into ceramic items in Tung Zan Baak Fo
For this latest exhibition, Ms Wan transformed a range of children's toys, from yellow rubber ducks to a Buzz Lightyear doll, into ceramic items. Through Tung Zan Baak Fo, Ms Wan aims to reveal how art pieces are monetised, and how they can be converted to deliver humanistic care. By donating to a specified charity, visitors can obtain tokens to exchange for a piece of art, demonstrating the interchangeability of artwork and social care.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Zan Baak Fo: Exploring the Value of Art | HKBU R&D Licensing Limited, Hong Kong Baptist University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
HKBU R&D Licensing Limited, Knowledge Transfer Office, Hong Kong Baptist University

# data[].attributes.headline
LI, Wei Han Rosanna and her clay figures

# data[].attributes.subject
LI, Wei Han Rosanna and her clay figures

# data[].attributes.body
Rosanna Li’s work Tou Tou Shi Tao (English title: Every Head Makes a Way), translated literally as ‘Head (Tou) is (Shi) the Way (Tao)’, again plays with words. With 81 busts that embrace the chapters of the Tao Te Ching (the Classics of the Way and the Virtue), she discusses what the Tao means to us. As usual, Li’s sculptures are plump and fleshy; the form is simple, with a short stubby head that looks skyward. The figures appear as if they were casually modeled with squinting eyes, onion noses or dainty mouths. They look amused or sleepy, or are gazing around haughtily. But where is Tao? Tao is literally hidden in the head. For each sculpture, Li extracts a particular chapter from the Tao Te Ching, and copies it onto the pedestal. The full chapter is also printed on rolls of paper and kept in the bottom of the busts. However, this is the text of the Tao – the sign pertaining to Tao is not equal to the mysterious, ubiquitous, and yet indescribable Tao. What manner of Tao is this? How can these ‘fat-heads’ know about Tao?

The perplexed viewer needs only to return to the title of this work – Tou Tou Shi Tao, a common expression that describes things being done in a methodical manner. The fact is: this phrase originated from Zen Buddhists, who meant to assert that the Tao is present everywhere. Perhaps we do not need to look elsewhere for the Tao. It may very well be reflected in these plump, earthen heads. Looking carefully at this group of busts, they are of roughly equal, but the pedestals differ in shape. Some show crease-like imprints of the original package, and others a dent at the corner. Li’s love for her medium allows her to accept such ‘unsightly’ imperfections. Susceptibility to damage at any stage of the process is as much a part of its charm as its pliability, just as the packaging and transportation is as much a part of the process as the kneading or firing. When kneading the busts, Li could not bear to casually discard any lump of clay. Whether the clay becomes a bald and bearded man, or a fat housewife who has combed her hair into buns, it is the interaction between the state of the clay and the finger movements that turns earth into these free-spirited busts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
ZTYLEZ Magazine HK - Fashion, Art, Beauty, Style

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Although the aesthetic standard of "thin is beautiful" is no longer appropriate, the pursuit of a slim and well-proportioned figure remains a universal preference for most people. Having been engaged in ceramic art creation in Hong Kong for many years, Rosanna Li, with her "chubby" ceramic dolls, has stepped into Hong Kong and the New Territories, redefining aesthetics with their round bodies. Whether at the Yau Tong MTR station, Lee Tung Street in Wan Chai, or Hong Kong International Airport, she has left behind some "round and smooth" beautiful images. When these ceramic figurines, which she calls "chubby men and women," are lined up, their simple and adorable appearance is indeed cute and approachable.

Whether it's palm-sized clay figurines or public space sculptures taller than real people, these "chubby" characters all have a relaxed and joyful appearance. Painters use colors to depict the world, while ceramic artists use their hands to shape the various aspects of life. Whether the medium used is tangible or intangible, it carries the artist's countless insights into life. In Li Wai-han's ceramic world, these playful characters emerge from the everyday life of Hong Kong. They may be on their way to the market to buy groceries or riding a motorcycle to deliver takeout, but they are telling you the most real and pure Hong Kong stories.

Rosan jokingly refers to her dolls as actors, and life as a stage. They frequently change accessories and clothing, performing different scenes. This time, we enter the artist's ceramic studio and gallery space. Before the clay is molded, let's take a look at how she shapes these "plus-size actors" after changing their outfits.

"The lives of ordinary people are worth recording."

When ceramic figurines are actors, Rosan humorously refers to herself as the "behind-the-scenes puppet master" who controls everything. Over the years, she has accumulated many ceramic works, and after exhibitions, the new members who continue to create will be collected by Rosan in the studio cabinet. Whenever inspiration strikes, it's time for these figurines to take the stage. She says, "Every time there's a new story, I feel like I'm searching for them in a cabinet, asking them to play different roles, interpret different scripts, so I think they are all actors."

If you are familiar with Rosan's work, you will know that these clay figurines do not depict epic films, but rather portray ordinary daily life sketches. Sometimes, the closest to life is often the most touching. The characters created by Rosan revolve around different types of ordinary people in society. What attracts her to these nameless characters?

Rosan shared, "I myself am just an ordinary person, narrating ordinary lives. I currently live in an old neighborhood, where there are many elderly neighbors, traditional shops, and street markets. I often stroll around the markets, tea houses, and such, because I believe that is the true essence of life. Through my creations, I want to show others what I see and feel, and that these people and things are worth documenting." Rosan believes that we often overlook the details hidden within our everyday lives, but they are worth savoring and appreciating.

"Holding the 'Street Market Spin' exhibition at SC Gallery this time is a very good experience."

Rosan brought a ceramic joint exhibition with her friend Yang Yuqin at the beginning of this year, and during our interview, she also coincided with the joint exhibition "Street Market Spin" brought by her and local young artist Jacky Tao at SC Gallery. As soon as we heard such a "down-to-earth" exhibition theme, we knew that this script was just what she wanted. Coincidentally, although Jacky mainly creates contemporary gongbi paintings, like Rosan, he also has a keen observation and concern for daily life.

This is an artistic exchange between two generations of creators, unexpectedly sparking a very fresh visual impact. Jacky uses delicate and stable brushwork to depict different street scenes, while Rosan brings a series of adorable dolls with his consistent wisdom and humor. If one is not familiar with the artists themselves, based solely on the skillful works in front of them, many people would believe that the paintings are the work of a seasoned painter, and these mischievous pottery works are created by a young ceramic artist. However, what is the same is that we can all see that both artists place great emphasis on the craftsmanship of their works.

Rosan shared, "I really like Jacky's paintings of street markets. During the preparation process, we exchanged pictures of our works and saw some possibilities. We didn't specifically discuss details like color until the exhibition, and the result was surprising. Through our works, we saw a lot of dialogue and coordination between each other, perhaps because we left an impression on each other during our conversations. Our works are seen as one thing in the same venue, rather than Jacky's belonging to Jacky and Li Huixian's belonging to Li Huixian. It's a very fresh feeling."

"Various accessories are important to my work."

And in this market, some dolls hold fair scales, some pick up elegant bamboo, and the meat stall owner wields a big knife with a fierce aura. Each of them has suitable props on their bodies, adding a lot of color to their appearance, and all of this is thanks to different accessories. Rosan shares, "You can tell from my works that accessories are very important in my creations. If there were only ceramic figures, I think it would be a bit monotonous. As I mentioned earlier, they are actors. When they play different roles, they need different costumes and props to appear in the theater."

Rosan usually collects various interesting small items to create her own prop box. When encountering certain specific themes, these accessories come in handy. She said, "I don't always find the most suitable accessories myself, sometimes I need some help from friends. I often make use of my friends' expertise, such as those who are excellent in sewing or fashion design, and ask them for help."

In this exhibition, in addition to street characters, Rosan has also created different delivery personnel to praise their efforts, especially since the outbreak. The thermal bags, lunch boxes, plastic vests, and paper bags held by the "infantry" are all designed with the help of her friends. The motorcycle used by the "cavalry" is also modified by herself from existing materials. When the clay figurines are paired with these delicate items, they complete Rosan's ideal theater.

The creative process is often long and lonely, but when it comes to finding accessories and designing the appearance of ceramic dolls, it is a time when she closely communicates with other friends, and she still feels excited every time. Some of the accessories for her works are actually the result of Rosan's years of teaching experience, with the help of friends from all walks of life.

She has been teaching at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design since the early 1990s. In her classes, she teaches students ways of seeing and design thinking. She reflects on her teaching career and says with satisfaction, "When I teach, I learn a lot from my students. It's a cycle, a tug-of-war." Her relationship with her students as both teacher and friend allows everyone to happily embody the role of "designer" like ceramic dolls, which also helps Rosan create various vibrant works. Teaching and learning, giving and receiving, the roles of both constantly alternate, which is what she refers to as the "cycle."

"I feel that society has too narrow a standard for beauty."

Long-term teaching students to break free from the constraints of traditional frameworks, to understand the multifaceted nature of things, as long as you slightly twist the angle of thinking, you will find that there are actually countless kinds of "beauty". Rosan frankly said, "The standards of beauty in society are too singular. Many times, people will think that the thinner, the better. But I think that if you are thin, then I have my own plumpness."

Rosan is actually influenced by the Tang Dynasty figurines, which is why she is fond of plump figures. The chubby dolls have a very relaxed and comfortable appearance, exuding a sense of ease. She says, "They have a feeling of slowing down time. Daily life can be too fast-paced, and I always think about how to slow down the rhythm. Looking at a big and plump figure is different from looking at a thin and skinny person, it's like slowing down the viewing time. And when I'm shaping the doll with my hands, if I feel that the lines are not round enough, I will add more clay until I am satisfied with its body and appearance, which slows down the production process. And after creating a simple model, it still needs to go through several firing and coloring processes, everything can't be rushed." Rosan jokingly says that working with clay definitely helps her calm down.

When asked what kind of feeling she hopes these dolls can convey, she happily replied, "They bring me a sense of peace and happiness. Sometimes when people see these dolls, they smile. When they are happy, I am even happier. It is the audience that gives me a lot of joy and affirmation. It is through these chubby dolls that I am able to establish a channel of communication with others."

"Hong Kong ceramics are very diverse. When you look at them, 'each flower enters each eye,' and when you make them, it becomes 'each person has their own brilliance'."

As a seasoned ceramic artist in Hong Kong, we are curious about Rosan's perspective on the inheritance of local ceramic art development. Although Hong Kong may not have a long history of ceramic art like Japan and does not have the same restrictions on style, technique, and materials, Rosan still holds a positive attitude towards it.

She said, "I think Hong Kong artists see ceramics as a medium for creation, and you can use it in any way you want. On one hand, some people try to make vessels, while on the other hand, some people challenge themselves with experimental works. Everyone is doing something different. I think there are many aspects to ceramic art in Hong Kong, and I find that very exciting. When you enter that circle, you will feel the artist's ideology and experience their breath and artwork coexisting, which is a beautiful thing."

Rosan laughed and said, "Ceramics in Hong Kong are very diverse. When you look at them, 'each flower enters each eye,' and when you make them, it becomes 'each person's own brilliance.'" Quietly making pottery for decades, Rosan always reminds herself not to stick to conventions and to try collaborating with artists from different backgrounds, which can broaden the possibilities of her own creations.

For her, the primary function of art is to satisfy herself, and she sees art as her spiritual nourishment. Although it may seem like she is shaping clay dolls with her hands, in reality, these dolls are also shaping who she is today. Rosan says, "In fact, the process of creation allows me to understand and improve myself. What kind of person will I become in the future? I am constantly doing, changing, and developing along the way, and of course, I hope to become a better person."

The world is vast and rich, and artists earnestly experience life. Everything they see in their daily lives can be transformed into moving creations. Creation has always been a two-way communication. Rosan holds a handful of clay, pouring in passion and focus. The small lives she molds naturally exude a delightful charm. These clay figurines are like born comedians, hoping that this behind-the-scenes playwright will continue to create humorously and keep the laughter going.
Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Producer: Mimi Kong
Interview & text: Ruby Yiu
Videographer: Kason Tam, Alvin Kong
Video Editor: Kason Tam
Photographer: Ken Yeung
Designer: Michael Choi
Special Thanks:Rosanna Li, SC Gallery

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
【Art City Travelogue】Rosanna Li - The Master of Crafting "Round" Beautiful Smiles

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Renowned Hong Kong ceramic artist Rosanna Li jokingly refers to her figurines as actors, and life as a stage. They frequently change accessories and costumes, performing different scenes. This time, we enter the artist's ceramic studio and gallery space to see how she shapes these "life-sized actors" before molding the clay.

# data[].attributes.body
In the 1890s, European residents, such as William Legge and R. C. Hurley, wrote travel books that introduced the beautiful landscapes of Hong Kong while arguing that colonial powers had carried out various political and social experiments, transforming this tiny island into an international trading port. In the 1920s, the business of souvenir photobooks thrived. This is an example from that era, capturing life in "this far-flung British outpost" with 25 vintage brown-tone photographic prints of Hong Kong, mounted on heavy cardstock leaves. The collection includes 25 vintage prints featuring scenes such as views from Mount Kellett, busy Queen’s Road, the Peak Tramway, the famous Hongkong Club, and a traditional Chinese New Year celebration, among others.

Yuen Chi, a scholar who studies Hong Kong’s tourism history, says that the photobook, like this, shows that the European elites had a more profound sense of belonging to the city and were willing to share the many attractions with others.

# data[].attributes.body
In the 1900s, the Sincere Department Store commissioned Yanchang, the silversmith from Shanghai, to make luxury items like this for their clients.

The Sincere Department Store was one of the first department stores established in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1900 by Ying Piu Ma (馬應彪) (1864-1944) and his business partners. The name ‘sincere’, with its connotation of honesty, was adopted as the company's guiding philosophy. Ying Piu Ma introduced modern Western retailing concepts to the store—it was the first store in China to employ female shop assistants and to adopt a fixed-price policy and issue receipts to customers.

Ma was determined to gather highly skilled artisans to produce high-quality merchandise under his own brand, and the silver items were considered on par with the best offerings from Chinese export silver retailers.