Prisca Tang
Artist-photographer-writer Water Kwing-Wing Poon creates a “state of dust free” at his exhibition at The Grand Suites of the Four Seasons Hotel Macao.
Poon told The Macau Post Daily last Thursday that he really likes the theme of the exhibition. He pointed out as there is too much dust in this world, it was his honour to be able to create a dustless world, which was calm and relaxing.
According to Poon, he personally designed the layout of the exhibition, which took him four to five days. “But we also got the blueprint weeks before the event to plan out the display,” he added.
Poon explained that he put his photography work in front of the exhibition area and gradually transited to a zone full of peaceful and scenic illustrations. Poon said this order was planned because he wanted his audience to “slowly immerse themselves in the dust-free world”.
“The scenery with hills and water in Guilin is the best in the world” is a famous saying that describes the region. When Poon was asked whether it was his impression of Guilin that took him to the mainland city so that he could get inspiration, he said that wasn’t the case.
Guilin, a city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is one of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations
“I wanted to draw Shan Shui paintings* and Guilin is the best place for that. I wanted scenery that has a hint of human life and is very down-to-earth. While I was drawing Guilin’s mountains and waters, I felt very comfortable and relaxed. And I know for a fact that people who are looking at my paintings will feel the same,” Poon said.
He smiled and said that he was grateful for God for creating such scenic mountains and waters for him to paint.
Change with the times
When asked how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected him in the past year, he said he did not waste his time in the past year during the epidemic. He said that he knew that he needed to change with the times, and during the travel-deprived period of the novel coronavirus pandemic, he was able to learn how to create a public account on WeChat and how to create TikTok videos. He pointed out that he tried to send out positive messages every day as a way to influence the world with his work.
Poon underlined that as an artist, he needed to change with the times and create his own unique style. He said – tongue-in-cheek – that there are more artists than farmers in China, if one could not have their own style, one will not stand out.
“My style is a combination of photography and water painting. I developed my own style and traits, which blends into society and life,” Poon said.
Poon said that in his writing he likes to use ellipses and anaphora. He pointed out that he uses ellipses because he has more to say but he wants to give some space for his readers to finish the sentence for him. He also said that anaphora has become his favourite literary device and it has become his style.
Jack of all trades or master of one
Poon is an artist, photographer, writer, designer and film director. When asked whether the new generation should be a jack of all trades or a master of one, Poon said they should be both. He said one could do a lot of things, like him, but one should always finish his or her task and never give up easily. He pointed out that one should be both a generalist and specialist.
“Being a specialist sometimes means not being adaptive and in this ever-changing world this is not a suitable trait but a generalist could also mean inconsistency in one thing. I think a person should be adaptive to change yet not forgetful about their roots. In other words, you can learn many things but you should learn them thoroughly,” Poon said.
Poon also said that a person should be able to sense when “enough is enough”. He added, “For example, when I am drawing, I should sense when enough is enough, if I add more it would ruin the whole picture”. He said, in other words, that when one is learning one thing and hits a bottle neck, then one should move on to another thing.
*According to Wikipedia, Shan Shui (“Mountain Water”) refers to a style of traditional Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and waterfalls are common subjects of Shan Shui paintings.
Water Kwing-Wing Poon poses in front of one of his works at Grand Atelier at the Grand Suites at the Four Seasons Hotel Macao last Thursday.Photos: Prisca Tang
