During ‘Art March 2024,’ an artistic atmosphere blossoms throughout Hong Kong. Well-known exhibitions, including The teamLab: ‘Continuous’ Exhibition, Art Basel, and Art Central are launched with grandeur, attracting art enthusiasts from all over the world. Many visitors humorously remark that they feel busy — busy taking photos at all the check-in spots.

The series of international art events draws an impressive number of overseas artists and curators to Hong Kong. Among them is South Korean artist Sue Yon Yang who showcased a collection of ink paintings at Art Central. Her show included an interactive element in which she engages with the audience to share her creative concepts.

Sue Yon Wang / Korean artist

I studied Korean traditional painting and, in my works, I try to mix the traditional medium with contemporary expressions. My works are about humanity, especially about life and death and the genuine human reaction to it. In my recent paintings, I wanted to show the enormous contrast between the past and future and how the notion of life and death has changed. I see the time that we are living in as a transitional era where there is hope about overcoming death but there are also ongoing conflicts and some confusion about the advancement of technology. Therefore, I created images which look peaceful at a glance but uncanny at the same time.

This year's Art Central is the largest since it was first held in 2015, bringing together nearly 100 top international galleries to present contemporary art forms including paintings, sculptures, installations and videos. What advantages does Hong Kong possess to attract international artists to participate in exhibitions of this caliber?

Hong Kong is a place that truly appreciates traditional values but is also open to new cultures and ideas. As my works aim to mix traditional media with contemporary expressions, I think Hong Kong is the right place for me to meet a broader audience.