By Ahmad Eduardo A. Coo
SAN FRANCISCO – Although she wanted to be an artist from a young age, Hong Kong native Phoebe Man knew it would be a precarious existence. It took the frustration of three years of writing about art as a journalist before she finally got up the nerve and took the plunge.
"I wasn't happy as a journalist," Man recalls, "I began to lose focus, and eventually I felt very lost. I wanted to find myself so I decided to do art full-time.
Today, she knows she made the right choice.
Although
Hong Kong's environment is far from nurturing for an artist, Man's career
has flourished. But her success is more the exception than the rule. Hong
Kong, like many places, often seems to put a higher premium on material
wealth and good business sense than on creativity, Man complains. An added
difficulty is that most art patrons in Hong Kong prefer works which contain
classical Chinese motifs and styles. Life for artists in Hong Kong like
Man who prefer to experiment with new forms and modes of expression is
a constant struggle. Becoming a full-time artist in Hong Kong, she says,
can be "financial suicide."
"Most artists in Hong Kong are not grounded in classical Chinese techniques," Man says, "that's why most of their artwork is not popular with Hong Kong people."
From condoms filled with uncooked rice to walls made out of bricks of margarine with words like Love and Truth carved into them, Man has
READ ON: Man's provacative works are on exhibit at the SFMOMA
Pius
Lee
Political star
Peter
Louis
Feng shui master
Martin
Yan
Celebrity chef
Coming soon
In
late May, journalism students from
UC Berkeley will travel to
Hong Kong. Watch for their reports.