Hung Kei Shiu

They’re the tiniest of marks. Often a small hatched line segment, miniscule circle, or a short block of color. But when issued from the hands of Hung Kei Shiu (b. 1964) these unassuming pieces accumulate, alter size subtly, and are assembled into stunning abstractions and transformations of specific objects. With his natural ability to layer paint, Shiu patiently builds fields of delicate color around and within his marks until the finished artwork echoes with a deep sense of space.

His interactions are brief—calmly waiting for your notice, then a wave, smile and single word of greeting—but, taken together, over months and years, an endless conversation accrues, one small gesture at a time, that mimics the quilted patterns of his work. Originally one of the first artists at Creativity Explored, Hung Kei Shiu pursued other activities for a number of years, and then re-joined the studio in 2006. CB2, our Community Arts Partner, has based both a rug and a pillow design on Shui's imagery.