A brush with history
The exhibition gathers artists from across the country, many based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and shows more than 116 Chinese ink paintings, oil paintings, prints, watercolors, sculptures and mixed-media works.
It hails the natural beauty and ecological diversity of the area, as well as the construction of its signature projects, vibrant metropolitan life and diverse cultures. It also presents to the audience historic events and reformative accomplishments since 1997, such as the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, mainland Olympic medalists visiting Hong Kong, the CNS Liaoning aircraft carrier sailing into Hong Kong waters and the opening of the Hong Kong Palace Museum. They are being portrayed in realistic strokes, while rendering a romantic sensibility.
Historic narratives, nostalgic feelings and everyday warmth are entwined at this exhibition. In her work titled The Smell of Hong Kong, Han Mei from Beijing pays tribute to the city's world-renowned reputation as a "heaven for foodies" by painting an array of its signature dishes and snacks, as well as signboards of gourmet restaurants to reflect the city's culinary art of combining Chinese and international flavors. Han says culinary culture has played a vital role in Hong Kong's development, and her work echoes the feeling of food lovers in Hong Kong that the dinners they have are never the same.
