Feted at exhibitions in New York and Hong Kong, artist Chloe Ho and her ink works are the talk of a generation.
When did your artistic impulses first emerge?
Even when I was very young, I expressed myself through art. In Chinese International School (CIS), I was always drawing in the playground and my schoolmates would ask if I wanted to be an artist when I grew up.
In 1997, I won a contest for postcard design run by Time magazine. That led to my first appearance in an exhibition, with the winning entries showcased in the China Club. I was eight and that was the first time I received recognition as an artist. From then on, things just started to build.
How does your international upbringing manifest itself in your works?
I see myself as something of a sponge. My international education exposed me to a range of artistic traditions from many different countries. Ultimately, I combined many of these influences when I came to create my own works, something that freed me from the stylistic rules of any one school or aesthetic.
You are particularly highly-regarded for your work with ink. What drew you to this medium?
For me, ink is almost a religion. I first fell in love with it holding a brush in a Chinese art class at CIS. Since then, my passion has only grown.
It is, however, an unforgiving medium. Ink does what it wants to do. Ink is bold and unapologetic, but it can also be subtle and sophisticated. It’s something you can’t enhance or emend. Ink is naked and unalterable. It’s a lot like life – you don’t get a do-over.
You’ve also experimented with 3D effects and virtual reality art…
For me, that strange marriage of art and technology is fascinating. It’s a new and evolving medium and one that raises fundamental questions about what we consider art to be.
My most recent show – Ascendence – was focused on the concept of time, while also embracing humanity’s progress and the way we now use technology in our everyday lives.
Alongside this, I explored the possibilities opened up by VR painting, creating an installation you could walk through. Essentially, it was an immersive, ‘inner universe’ experience, one where users could actually interact with the art on show.
To date, what have you been most proud of?
That’s a tough one to answer. There’ve been quite a few highlights along the way. Recently, my work was featured in the MGM Chairman’s collection. My show at New York’s Forbes Gallery also stands out for me. More recently, my Ascendence show wrapped here in Hong Kong. It was great that it was just so well received by Hong Kong art lovers.
Having said all that, as an artist, you always believe that your best work is yet to come.
Aside from your artistic endeavours, what else takes up your time?
I’ve been short-sighted nearly of my life and, a few years back, I suffered from a detached retina. As a result, optical health is a subject that is very close to my heart. It was this experience that inspired me to get involved with eye care in Hong Kong, and to launch the Chloe Ho Safeguarding Sight Initiative, a joint venture with the Hong Kong University School of Medicine. Together, we raise funds to help ensure that underprivileged children and adults get proper access to routine retina health checks and treatments. We also fund a free eye-testing service in Sham Shui Po.
As an artist, how do you view your likely legacy?
The legacy of any artist has to be the work they leave behind. If it is to outlast its creator, it has to be strong enough to stand on its own and speak across the gulf of culture and time. I hope my body of work will convey how I feel about the world and the issues we all face.
On a more personal level, I hope to leave a legacy of kindness and generosity and I hope that I have – and will – inspire others to follow their artistic passions.
Thank you.
Interview by: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: Neville Lee
Art Direction & Styling: San Wong
Make-up: Margaret Wong
Hair: Eric Lee @ Kim Robinson Salon