Before the Nike shop event, I headed out to the far east side of Hong Kong Island to a neighborhood called Chai Wan to attend the opening exhibition of a new gallery. The gallery is actually an extension of the Chancery Lane Gallery in Central’s Soho neighborhood. The new location is a massive warehouse / old factory building that has been subdivided.
When I got out of the elevator, I saw the familiar street art of Simon Birch, who was curating the opening show. Taking a right, I entered into a room with a mini half-pipe, with skaters in full session. On the side of the ramp were several hanging canvases. I had to warn a few of the gallery-goers to stay clear of the side of the ramp, just in case any runaway boards came shooting out – a lesson I learned the hard way about a decade ago! Ouch!
Next I walked over to the main gallery space which was packed with a diverse lot of art enthusiasts, enthusiastically consuming free drinks. The hallway leading into the main gallery featured stencils of superheroes flying through the air.
Although the gallery offered a larger space than most in Central, the big turnout made it seem small. Click the image below for a bigger version.
Along one wall were a bank of photos by Wing Shya.
Simon Birch also had two paintings on the same side.
Suspended from the ceiling were two large guns, each crafted using interesting materials.
The other featured artists included Cang Xin, Huang Rui, Anthony Lam, Li Wei, Tatsuyuki Tanaka (a famous anime artist,) and Stanley Wong.
Chancery Lane Gallery Annex address:
Chai Wan Industrial City, Phase 1, Unit 614
60 Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan
Hong Kong