Collection: Bling Dynasty

20th of February to 4th of April 2021

Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM

G/F, 82A Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

The exhibition will feature a series of new works created using techniques drawn from Western and Chinese art and handicraft traditions, including silkscreen prints on plexiglass, resin and bronze sculptures, as well as traditional embroidery and calligraphy.

In Chang’s new works, instantly recognizable images from global pop and consumer culture—such as characters from well-known animated sitcoms and video game, and iconic logos from luxury fashion houses—are figured as central motifs within compositions that recall traditional Chinese artistic mediums, techniques and iconography. The resulting visual juxtaposition offers a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the dominating influence of Chinese consumer power on the global marketplace. By situating icons from Western pop culture into unmistakably Chinese compositions, these works also reflect on the ubiquitous advertising by global luxury brands to suit ever-changing trends and the shifting demographics with buying power.

Bringing together aesthetic and iconic motifs drawn from Western and Chinese culture, art, and traditions that appear to clash or contradict on first glance, Chang hopes to create a sense of harmony amidst chaos and uncertainty. “In these desperately confusing and lonely times, it has become more important than ever to gain a greater awareness of the world and reflect on our relationship to time and history,” comments Chang. “As our global landscape continues to shift along geo-political lines, I’ve been drawn to images and techniques from vastly different cultural lineages to make sense of the world and these works have allowed me to inject my vision of harmony into them.”

The upcoming exhibition will feature visual references from beloved animation and gaming titles, such as South Park, Rick and Morty, and Family Guy, which Chang fuses in his characteristic pop art style into recognizable iconography from Tang and Han Dynasty paintings.

In addition, the exhibition will present a new series of screen prints on plexiglass, a material which has become commonplace as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic providing both protection and a medium for communication through its transparency. Layering minuscule dots printed on plexiglass with colorful compositions underneath, Chang creates a parallax effect that invites viewers to step into his shoes as a color-blind artist. Although they may appear complete from afar or when viewed digitally, visitors will be confronted with a surprising sense of depth and contradiction when seeing the works and these misaligned dots in-person, reflecting the artist’s color-filtered perspective.