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Lot Essay
Lee Kit was born in Hong Kong in 1978. He lives and practices his art in Taiwan in the recent years. In 2013, he represented Hong Kong in the Venice Biennale. This year, he has two solo exhibitions at the S.M.A.K. and Walker Art Center. Lee is one of the most internationally renowned young Asian artists.
Lee Kit started experimenting with hand-painting strips on fabric as early as his college years. These "paintings" have a utilitarian purpose, and they enter into the quotidian realm. During the SARS outbreak in 2003 in Hong Kong, Lee Kit and his friends went picnicking in the country-side . He serendipitously used one of his hand-painted clothes as a picnic blanket. Subsequently, he created the work Sunday Afternoon: Picnic with friends and hand-painted cloth at Yung Shue O, Sai Kung. Ever since, his hand-painted clothes were assigned various utilitarian purposes. However, his chief concern is the arbitrary and aleatory relationships between artworks and events. This is evident in the work Hand Painted Cloth used as Towel (Lot 122) – the lone towel hanging in the bathroom silently observes the insipid passage of time. It does not criticise reality, nor does it pity itself. It silently conveys the subjective feelings of the artist, which are private and ambiguous.
The obsession of the ready-made is another characteristic of Lee Kit's works. Nivea Night Pack (Lot 123) is an object upon which the artist reflects on the concept of the ready-made. Using the sweet tones of the pastels, he painted thin layers of translucent colours on paper. On top, he used ink-jet technology to print various logos of commercial products. He once revealed that as a child, he was not interested in regular toys – he was fascinated by personal skin-care products. He has an obsession with cleanliness – he once had episodes when he took several showers in a day. As a result, he had the opportunity to intimately study these products under the most private circumstances. To Lee Kit, his works on paper does not superficially criticise the characteristically colonial consumerism in Hong Kong. In fact, it is a contemplation on the genuine relationships between himself and the objects around him, as well as the emotions generated from these relationships.
Instead of calling Lee Kit's works paintings, it is more appropriate to refer them as what the artist calls settings. His works amalgamate with the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and various space to generate meanings that are more encompassing than mere paintings. When we observe these works, we unwittingly enter into the artist's private space and encounter his every memory and emotion.
Lee Kit started experimenting with hand-painting strips on fabric as early as his college years. These "paintings" have a utilitarian purpose, and they enter into the quotidian realm. During the SARS outbreak in 2003 in Hong Kong, Lee Kit and his friends went picnicking in the country-side . He serendipitously used one of his hand-painted clothes as a picnic blanket. Subsequently, he created the work Sunday Afternoon: Picnic with friends and hand-painted cloth at Yung Shue O, Sai Kung. Ever since, his hand-painted clothes were assigned various utilitarian purposes. However, his chief concern is the arbitrary and aleatory relationships between artworks and events. This is evident in the work Hand Painted Cloth used as Towel (Lot 122) – the lone towel hanging in the bathroom silently observes the insipid passage of time. It does not criticise reality, nor does it pity itself. It silently conveys the subjective feelings of the artist, which are private and ambiguous.
The obsession of the ready-made is another characteristic of Lee Kit's works. Nivea Night Pack (Lot 123) is an object upon which the artist reflects on the concept of the ready-made. Using the sweet tones of the pastels, he painted thin layers of translucent colours on paper. On top, he used ink-jet technology to print various logos of commercial products. He once revealed that as a child, he was not interested in regular toys – he was fascinated by personal skin-care products. He has an obsession with cleanliness – he once had episodes when he took several showers in a day. As a result, he had the opportunity to intimately study these products under the most private circumstances. To Lee Kit, his works on paper does not superficially criticise the characteristically colonial consumerism in Hong Kong. In fact, it is a contemplation on the genuine relationships between himself and the objects around him, as well as the emotions generated from these relationships.
Instead of calling Lee Kit's works paintings, it is more appropriate to refer them as what the artist calls settings. His works amalgamate with the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and various space to generate meanings that are more encompassing than mere paintings. When we observe these works, we unwittingly enter into the artist's private space and encounter his every memory and emotion.