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Alumni Stories
Fotan and Art
Winnie Siu Davies 蕭愛冰BA 1996
Fo Tan is undergoing a transformation. Instead of it being just an industrial area, people would recall the annual Open Studios when they think of Fo Tan.
Winnie, a Fine Art alumna who has exhibited works in the Asia-Pacific region, Italy and Canada, set up her workshop in a Fo Tan industrial building back in 2006 and has been participating in the annual Open Studios. Ten years later, she is now the organiser of this annual event.
“There is a need to promote art and culture to the public. The mission of the Open Studios is to nurture the next generation’s love of art. It also provides a platform for local artists to showcase their art productions directly to an audience in order to communicate with each other. Every year, Fotan Open Studios receives more and more visitors,” Winnie said.
Since she picked up the role of organising the annual Open Studios in 2016, it was decided that the artists would run the event by themselves, without any Hong Kong government funding. “In such a way, we, artists can have more freedom to create our works without any limitations,” Winnie explained. However, the greatest challenge is actually "time".
“We need time to organise it as well as to create our artworks alongside our full time jobs. Only a small number of artists are able to spare the time to volunteer to organise it.”
Still, Winnie and other artists have been working hard and the Open Studios 2017 would be held on January 14-15 and January 21-22. About 80 artists from 40 studios participate at the Fo Tan Open Studios 2017. During this period, artists working in various media including painting, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, prints, photography, installation and video, open their studios to the public and provide demonstrations. “One of the most popular workshops is the ceramic pottery one at Arthome. I will also demonstrate painting and sculpting in my workshop Joy Art Club.”
Since 2000, a growing number of artists have set up workshops in the industrial area of Fo Tan, where many of the factory buildings became empty after the manufacturing industries moved to the Mainland in the late 1990s.
Winnie invites all to join in and volunteer at the Fotan Open Studios 2017, so that you can be part of this vibrant artistic community.
The mission of the Open Studios is to nurture the next generation’s love of art. It also provides a platform for local artists to showcase their art productions directly to an audience in order to communicate with each other.
