Amity Chan
Jennie Lea Knight Fellow
Be safe, my friend 2019, screen printed on paper, 18” x 18”. (Edition 3/12)
ARTIST STATEMENT
Art is the medium for my activism. My practice is driven by a deep commitment to raising awareness of the social and political issues in Hong Kong, a home I have not been able to return to. My recent works draw inspiration from personal experience within the city’s pro-democracy movement and its increasing barriers. Through two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, I offer the world a realistic view of the seemingly prosperous and free city, urging viewers to reflect on the corrupted systems and bring greater awareness of the pressing human rights issues in my home.
During the critical years from 2019 to 2020, when major pro-democracy protests took place around the city, I created over ten works that directly responded to the Anti-Extradition Law Protest, including two interactive public installations, Lennon Wall (2019-2020) and Fearful to Fearless (2019), two screen printing series, Be Safe, My Friend (2019) and Handcuffs (2019), and three photography series in which I captured new faces of Hong Kong during the age of protest.
Life in A Cage, 2019, mixed media installation, 4 x 4 x 6 ft.
Handcuffs Series, 2019, screen printed on paper, 18” x 18” each. (Edition 1 to 4/12)
Did 2019 Make Us Braver?, 2020, archival inkjet print, 9 ½ x 11”. (Edition 1/1)