Doctor Maria Mok joined the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMOA) in 1996 and is currently its Museum Director. A specialist in China trade paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries, her research largely focuses on dating and authentication, subjects she has published and lectured on extensively.
What do you particularly recall about your childhood?
It was, significantly, quite a simple time. My father was a part-time artist and I grew up in an environment where art was an essential part of life. I remember he would take us for walks on the beach and draw things in the sand for us. Similarly, when we are out hiking, he would ask us to consider the beauty of small flowers and ponder on the wonders of the natural world.
When did you first realise that your future career lay in the art world?
Well, my parents continually asked me to think about my future plans as soon as I became a teenager. It was really at that early stage of my life. As much to keep them happy as anything
else, I told them I wanted to be a fashion designer. In reality, I was much too young to make that decision so, when I went to Paris at the age of 18 to study fashion design, I found that I really wasn’t a designer material. As I was already in Paris and committed to staying there for a year, I immersed myself in the world of art and museums, a process that led me to realise that my real interest was in art of every kind. I also found that I loved writing, art history and culture, so I went back to university and studied exactly that. Looking back, I think I was always interested in all things artistic.
Are there any artists you regard as personal favourites?
While I don’t really have any favourite artists, I do have a favourite type of art. As it is rather old, the identities of the actual artists involved have been lost to time. I particularly love artworks that date from the time of the Song Dynasty, with monochrome ware Song porcelain being my absolute favourite. Typically, such pieces have amazing depths of colour, a kind of translucency and a minimalist aesthetic that pre-dates contemporary minimalist philosophy by a considerable margin.
What would you say were the factors that have shaped your own aesthetic sensibility?
I very much believe that less is more, which is why I love the simple porcelain works of the Song dynasty. There is real beauty in simplicity and quietness. While I like things that are pure, the fine details of any artwork are also very important to me.
Did you face any family pressure to pursue a more conventional career at any point?
My parents – especially my father – were very particular so, yes, they did worry about my career choices, especially as, back then, some 30 years ago, it was far more difficult to get ahead in the world of art. For any parent, practicality always comes to mind. They did, however, both stress the importance of perseverance and advised me to think deeply before making a decision. Once a decision had been made, though, they were insistent that I shouldn’t give up on my chosen path too easily. Their advice proved to have considerable resonance, as there were many, many twists, turns, hiccups and setbacks. Ultimately, perseverance really was the key to success.
Given the demanding nature of your job, how do you maintain the balance between your personal and professional lives?
It is not really much of a problem for me. I love my job, so my professional life is very much in tune with my personal life. I think it is very important that you enjoy and love what you are doing for a living – to stay passionate and dedicated to it. When people ask me what my favourite pastime is, I tell them it is not shopping or socialising. In fact, I tell them, I like to spend my weekends undertaking research. It’s something I enjoy and it’s very much part of my artistic and personal journey. Uncovering answers to questions in art history is akin to being a detective. When I find answers I then see it as part of my job to explain them in a way that is both interesting and understandable for the majority of other people. In short, I just love being a kind of bridge between art and the general public.
What role do you think art plays in society?
Art hugely defines who we are as a society, through creativity and cultural depth. For me, personally, I feel that, without art, we are not complete as human beings.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in art but is uncertain about their prospects within the sector?
I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to pursue a career in art. I would especially urge them to do so in Hong Kong, where the art scene is rapidly expanding, the art market is growing and there are an increasing number of jobs available in museums and galleries. If you love what you do, you don’t have to be afraid because you’ll always find a way to carry on doing it.
What would you say to those that maintain art is elitist and exclusively for the rich?
Unequivocally, I would say that is not the case. At the HKMOA, we fundamentally believe that art is for everyone, which is why we put so much effort into our publicity campaigns and our social media presence. As people may look at an individual work and say they don’t understand it, it is our job as curators to make sure they not only can understand it but also enjoy it.
What makes the HKMOA unique compared to Hong Kong’s other museums?
Its collections represent the very DNA of Hong Kong. It tells Hong Kong’s own story. What could be more unique than that.
What do you think is the most important thing for a museum to communicate to its visitors?
A museum should prioritise communicating a sense of comfort and openness to its visitors, ensuring that they are never intimidated. The message should be that a great art is always accessible – that it doesn’t belong to any specific class or type and one doesn’t have to study it to understand it as it has a universal appeal.
Which among the four core collections of HKMOA is your personal favourite and why?
As my area of specialty is China trade art from the 18th and 19th centuries, I’d have to say that. These are works that were very much produced by Chinese artists for the western market. As such, they are closely tied to the history of Hong Kong and played a key role in putting us on the world stage as an artistic force.
What is your vision for the HKMOA over the next 10 years?
Our vision is to make it a museum where, when people come in, they feel that they have a real stake in it, that they own it. We want them to take great pride in it and always remember that the Hong Kong Museum of Art truly is Hong Kong’s foremost museum of art.
Thank you.
(Interview by: Zaira Abbas; Photographer: Jack Law; Art Direction and Styling: Jhoshwa Ledesma; Videographer: Jack Fontanilla; Hair and Make Up: Owen Ko; Venue: Hong Kong Museum of Art & Hue Dining)