Posts in Art and Fashion
These Eyes of Mine

I am often too focussed on how the world sees me that I sometimes forget to see myself. As a Chinese woman, one of my defining features are my eyes. These are the same eyes that were ridiculed when I was a child. I still remember the chant about them which made me feel ugly. It resides in my mind as the first time I realised I looked different from everyone else. Yet, I now love these imaginative eyes that, when closed, take me to faraway lands and places I never thought I would see. Now, I am proud of these almond eyes, eyes that guide me to paint, draw and create. I cherish them for the beauty that they let me see, in others and over the years, in myself and my journey.

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Fashion as Ritual: First Monday in May 時尚的禮儀

Before getting dressed in the morning, I wade through the dresses, blouses, skirts, jackets, scarves, hats, shoes and handbags clogging my bedroom closet and still can’t find anything to wear. It’s become a daily ritual. My tastes change with the fashion. Or is that I expect too much from my clothes? One day I wear ruffles and feel pretty, and the next a camouflage print to channel my inner warrior. My friend has trouble packing her suitcase for overseas trips because she simply cannot anticipate what her mood might be on the road. “I dress to express what I feel,” she tells me. “Or what I want to make happen on a given day.”

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Paper Sneakers and Border-Crossing Dreams: Multimedia Artist Natalie Wong

Natalie’s work is never the same; it is continuing developing, adapting and evolving. I find it fascinating she cannot pick a favourite medium and experimentation tends to lead her to all sorts of new artistic dimensions. What is consistent however, is how Natalie seems to make pieces with cultural, whether localised or global, connotations. I would speculate whether it comes from Natalie’s outlook from splitting her time between Hong Kong and London. Natalie noted that “both cities are amazing in their own unique ways. Hong Kong is intense, efficient and it's easy to meet people.

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He Kun 賀昆 : Capturing the Reality of the Pandemic with Traditional Brush Painting

From my series “The Quiet Spring,” the beginnings of the virus can be seen — at the time it wasn’t perceived as too serious and no one could predict that just two months later, it would become a global pandemic. The development of the epidemic inspired several series of large- and small-scale ink paintings with profound reflections.

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Abundance: Across Oceans and Generations by Toronto artist Shellie Zhang 張雪萊

My latest project Abundance opened as an online exhibition with Patel Gallery for the 2020 Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. Featuring new sculptural, photographic and installation-based works, Abundance is a cyclical reflection on two actions: my relatives bringing pieces of cut fruit in my youth, and me leaving fruit offerings at ancestral graves.

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Stephanie H. Shih 石函玉:Capturing the Asian Diaspora through Ceramic Groceries

When she was just 11, Stephanie’s Chinese mother passed away, and because her father was white, she felt she had lost an important connection to her heritage. The porcelain dumpling reminded her of her mother, who died before teaching her how to fold real ones, and she would send me photos of herself travelling with the dumpling thereafter.

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Simu Liu Punctuates the 15th Year of Nobis: Challenging the Status Quo

NOBIS announces new global brand ambassador Simu Liu. In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Canadian luxury outerwear brand Nobis has announced their Global Brand Ambassadorship with Marvel Studios new breakthrough superhero and Canadian actor, Simu Liu known for his role in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings. This new partnership between Simu Liu and Nobis represents the pursuit of excellence, discovering your own opportunities and unapologetically pursuing your passions, an ethos that Nobis continues to live by, through innovation, performance, and impeccable style.


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Autumn in Canada: Floral Design Inspired by Canadian Scenery and Chinese Culture

Floral designer Vivi Hou, who previously exhibited at the Fete Chinoise Signature Event in 2019 and 2020, shares with us some of her recent work that is inspired by Canadian scenery. Currently residing in Shanghai during the global pandemic, she is taking part in modern Chinese calligraphy projects while in China. She reminisces the red maple leaves that would be gathered by the wind and land at her front door, and the beautiful changing colours of fall that inspires her to connect with nature every year.

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