Exhibitions uncover Hong Kong’s hidden history of printmaking, from movable type to modern lithography
- Two exhibitions at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum turn the spotlight on a forgotten part of the city’s artistic identity
- The shows feature rare works from the 19th century as well as experimental, contemporary pieces that redefine the medium
With the world now so reliant on computers, it is easy to forget that typesetting and colour printing used to be labours of love that required days, weeks or even months to achieve precise results. The younger generations also may not be aware that Hong Kong was once a hub for the art of printing.
The ongoing exhibitions “Between the Lines – The Legends of Hong Kong Printing” and “20/20 Hong Kong Print Art Exhibition” – which both opened last October at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum – share the compelling history of printing in the city, beginning with rare prints and metal movable type from the 19th century and continuing through to recent developments in the local contemporary art scene.
The two shows enrich our understanding of the medium while also celebrating printmakers’ contributions to Hong Kong’s artistic identity. They are co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Hong Kong Open Printshop, an artist-run, non-profit organisation based at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre in Shek Kip Mei.
From striking post-war portraits of labourers toiling by a wharf on Hong Kong Island to a sleepy, 1960s-era scene in the fishing village of Tai O, Hong Kong printmakers quietly documented everyday life in the city for decades. They used labour-intensive processes to create powerful works of art – gouging, scratching and stencilling images on various surfaces to be pressed on paper.
