Past Exhibition

Ming Fay : Journey into Nature

23 Sep - 28 Jan  |  2022 -2023
Fay Ming
Introduction
MING FAY’S ARTISTIC JOURNEY
A Panel Discussion: 15 Nov 2022, Tuesday, 6-7pm

Panelists include
Parker Fay, Director of Ming Fay Art Studio
Lau Kin Wai, Art Critic
Michelle Wong, Researcher and curator
Moderated by Daphne King, Director of Alisan Fine Arts

Talk will be bilingual in English and Chinese, and live-stream on Instagram @alisanfinearts
RSVP assistant@alisan.com.hk

Alisan Fine Arts is delighted to announce Journey into Nature, the 4th solo exhibition for the Chinese-American sculptor and installation artist, Ming Fay, at our Central space. On display will be some of Ming Fay’s works that will be introduced to the Hong Kong audience for the first time. These include the wishbone series, the Tai Chi figure series, and early sketches that inspired his famous fruit sculptures. Other iconic works, such as the money tree branch and larger than life fruits, nuts and surreal vegetables, will also be displayed. The exhibition can be seen as an expansion of Ming Fay’s large-scale installation themed Garden of Life at Art Basel Hong Kong 2022, where viewers were invited into an unconventional Edenic utopia.

During this exhibition, the white cube gallery space will be transformed into a surreal garden, once again, providing the viewer with an immersive and fantastical experience that is even more joyful for the audience, with one artist this time. The diversity of work that will be displayed traces Fay’s career from the 1970s to now and can be viewed as a mini retrospective. In addition to the display of artworks, a 424-page-monograph of Fay’s life and work will be launched in conjunction with the exhibition.

Ming Fay’s work, which draws on his extensive knowledge of both Eastern and Western horticulture and mythologies, primarily comments upon the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. In his own words, “In modern urban environments, the need for a reminder of the natural world is particularly significant and necessary and I strive to demonstrate the wonder of even the humblest natural forms, lending the viewer a new appreciation of the ordinary.” Inspired by different fruits, seeds, plants and bones, Fay also reworks nature’s forms in order to create imaginary hybrid species. The artist explains, “Much like a scientist, I research and cultivate specific plant forms for their inherent and symbolic qualities, reinterpreting and reinventing them in my studio / laboratory greenhouse.” This results in works that range from oversized plant forms, theatrical garden-like displays, or overgrown sci-fi inspired environments.

Currently, his work is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA, until July 2023.