INSIDER ART PICKS

I invited Tony into Multiples because he’s a great artist with an aesthetic that’s very accessible and easy to integrate into interior design. 

I like the diversity in Tony’s work. He’s been painting for a long time and while there is a common theme across colour tones and general abstraction, there is a lot of technical exploration over the years. His Melbourne studio is one of my favourite places to go when I’m visiting, as it is a treasure trove of a career of creativity and he lets me just leaf through everything. I selected several of his works for Red T Multiples because I think they are lovely in their entirety but also every square inch is another beautiful painting waiting to happen, because he’s mastered colour and brush work so well. 

I selected these two pieces purely because they’re my favourites. When we first cropped Journey to Xiamen 2, I thought it was so gorgeous with the subtle characters raining through the background. Sandpaper and Light 2 just feels luxurious. The original is on sandpaper, as the title would suggest, which is something I’d never seen before. When you reproduce it, it retains that texture, which could be mistaken for velvet.

Gao Ping’s works are emotional and expressive and I connect with that. She’s a beautiful artist and her paintings tell the stories of her thoughtful mind.  

She is quite the master of ink and actually works both in delicate figurative studies, which I have selected here, or large moody abstracts. Both amazing but I love the nostalgia in her black and whites. I think they are little visual gems and they have the ability to trigger a smile in me when I see something I connect with a childhood memory like a teddy, piano or some of the more retro objects she paints (cassette players, old vacuum cleaners…).  I’ve selected the piano and tea set here because I think both are so simple and sweet. There is always something powerful about simple.

I’ve worked with Guan Yi for nearly 15 years. I’ve always loved his work and exhibited it whenever I’ve had the chance. Naturally he was one of the first artists I invited to join the Multiples collection.

As a person, he’s authentic and super lovely. He cares about our environment, spirituality and connecting with the world around him. He cares about how our surroundings affect how we feel and his paintings are calming visions of his inner peace, his conversation with nature. They’re full of colour and natural forms as he lets the paint flow where it wants to go, with a little guidance. 

I’ve selected two fairly different pieces here. One pretty dramatic and expressive, and the other calming. I like the contrast between the two and I love the colours in them. They’re so easy to live with and can seriously complement any space, especially if framed right. 

Something Hong Kong art fairs don’t seem to be embracing is the street art scene here in Hong Kong, which is a shame, as it’s pretty vibrant. One of the artists I have taken note of recently is Szabotage. You can see a lot of his work around town, particularly in Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan. Look out for his trademark koi (also available for sale through his website). I’ve selected him because he’s really good at what he does and his works often have a sense of satire and unpretentiousness to them. These works are great little pieces of original street art for anyone to own.

This is a great platform for art photography of Hong Kong. The site is clean and easy to use, the work is good and the options nice and simple. I like that they also have a social angle, with 10% of their profits going to a charity that highlights the exhibition theme from a conscious and humanitarian perspective.