Lam Tung-pang: I was once here

Klein Sun Gallery is pleased to announce “I was once here,” a solo exhibition of multimedia works by Hong Kong-based artist Lam Tung-pang, on view from March 24 through April 23, 2016.

Lam Tung-pang is a founding member of the Fotanian art movement in Hong Kong. He is primarily known for his large-scale paintings and drawings on plywood. Staining and treating the wood veneers first, Lam creates monumental pictures that reflect the societies we live in – for example, the image of a polar bear often appears as a metaphor for beings trapped by the consequences of human behavior. He continues these reflections in his other mixed media works, including video, sound art and site-specific installations.

Curated by Janet Fong, the solo show “I was once here,” is the result of Lam’s ongoing relationship with New York City. In 2012, he was granted a fellowship by the city’s Asian Arts Council which allowed him to live and produce work in an apartment in lower Manhattan for several months. During this period, he viewed the space as a vessel, able to expand and export ideas calibrated according to experiences that day, or as responses to the guests who would frequently drop by in the evenings. Lam also religiously visited various museums and institutions between 9am and 1pm every day. The immersive show, “I was once here,” is a composite memory of those visits, a puzzle to be filled in by the visitors that inhabit the space. The projected images and installations in the room are ephemeral fragments, or clues of pictures that lead to Lam’s larger recollections of a place where he once was, and of a past life strolling quietly in museums, that was once his present.

Lam Tung-pang was born in Hong Kong in 1978. He holds a BA in Fine Arts from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (2002) and an MA in Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins in London, England (2004). Lam Tung-pang’s work has been the subject of major solo shows including "Toys Stop," K11 Chi Art Space, Hong Kong (2016); “Play,” Espace Louis Vuitton, Hong Kong (2014); “The Curiosity Box,” Chinese Cultural Center of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (2013); “Past Continuous Tense,” Goethe-Institut, Hong Kong (2012) and “Lam Tung Pang: First Step,” Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester, UK (2006). He has also exhibited in group shows worldwide including "China 8: Overview – Views of China," NRW Forum, Dusseldorf, Germany (2015); “I Think it Rains,” Cattle Depot Artist Village (2013); Hong Kong Eye,” Artistree, Hong Kong (2013); “No Soul for Sale,” Tate Modern, London, UK (2010); “Legacy and Creations: Art vs Art,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China (2010); “Departure – Contemporary Art Exhibition of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau,” He Xiangning Art Museum, OCT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shenzhen, China (2008) and “Hunting Art Prize Gala, Finalist Exhibition,” Royal College of Art, London, UK (2005). His work is collected by M+ Museum, Hong Kong; Burger Collection, Hong Kong; K11 Art Foundation, China, and Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, Germany. He is the recipient of the Best Artist category from the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards (2013), the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Award (2009) and the Sovereign Asian Art Prize (2006).

For press inquiries, please contact Ysabelle Cheung at the gallery (212.255.4388) or via email at ysabelle@kleinsungallery.com. For all other inquiries, please contact Casey Burry at the gallery (212.255.4388) or via email at casey@kleinsungallery.com.

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March 23 – April 23, 2016

Press Release