Kwan Sheung-chi
Jeff Leung Chin Fung

KWAN Sheung-chi's sensitivity and interest for the modulus operandi of the contemporary art scene were evident in his early works created during his university years. In 2005, under the pseudonym of his mother, he submitted to art competitions pieces that were akin in form to DUCHAMP's reputed piece "Fountain". They represent how the hierarchy of the art world and the writing of art history demarcate and dominate the identity of an artist. Another of his works, "The Arch", created as a critical statement of the real estate market, was looked upon by the scholar LEE Oufan as "a postmodern critique of our society" (LEE: "The Imagination of the Urban 'White-collar'", Asia Week, 2005: 24). KWAN's subjects of creation, while addressing the macro status quo of the art scene and social issues, were different from those of local artists in the age of passion (70s in Hong Kong), with their forthcoming and distinctive styles. His critique was subtle, deeply embedded within the work, and shows in all its aspects how identity was dominated by social norms and cultural institutions.

(Jeff Leung Chin Fung, “Kwan Sheung-chi’, aWay - Group Exhibition of Hong Kong Contemporary Visual Artists, 1a space, June 2006.)