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Asia Society Honors Four Artists At 2018 Hong Kong Asia Arts Awards
By Sophie von Wunster
Coinciding with the public opening of this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong, Asia Society honored four established artists at the Asia Arts Game Changer Awards ceremony on March 29, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong. Indian multimedia artist Subodh Gupta, Iranian artist Shirazeh Houshiary, Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming and South Korean painter Park Seo-Bo were each presented with a commemorative trophy shaped like a leogryph—a mythical Tibetan beast symbolizing protection against evil—which appears in the Asia Society logo.
New Delhi-based Gupta is known for incorporating everyday objects and tools that are commonly used in India into his installations, while Houshiary draws inspiration from Sufi mystical dogmas for her sculptures. Works by Ju are instantly recognizable for their bold, geometric forms, rendered in a range of materials, such as wood, bronze and stainless steel. Park, Seoul-based artist and leading figure of the Dansaekhwa movement, is best known for his ongoing “Ecriture” series (1960s–), consisting of monochromatic paintings based on the Taoist principle of emptiness.
Previously known as the Asia Society Art Gala and Asia Arts Awards, the ceremony was inaugurated by Asia Society in 2014 with the aim of honoring artists and arts professionals who have made significant contributions in their fields. All proceeds from the gala support Asia Society’s global cultural initiatives.
Previous recipients of the award include Pakistani artist Rashid Rana, Indian artist Bharti Kherr, Japanese artists Hiroshi Sugimoto and Takashi Murakami, Hong Kong modern painter Hon Chi Fun, Beijing-based Xu Bing, Taiwanese ink artist Liu Guosong and South Korean conceptualist Kimsooja.
Sophie von Wunster is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.
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