Big City Life | 都市人生

Asia Society Hong Kong Center is proud to present Big City Life (2017), the first outdoor sculpture by South Korean artist Eddie Kang in Hong Kong. It tackles the metropolitan life by rekindling our forgotten childhood simplicity and fantasies.

Big City Life is a culmination of Kang’s Big City Life series. It shows five of Kang’s original recurring characters. They are, from top to bottom, Storyteller the clown, Cabbit, Bubble Bearcup, Rag Doll, and Goblin the robot. The weeping clown is a sad optimist; Cabbit, a hybrid of a cunning cat and a naïve rabbit, is an icon of joy; Bubble Bearcup symbolizes pure happiness, for bubble gum was the artist’s favourite sweet; Rag Doll, in memory of his security pillow, symbolizes anger and anxiety, while Goblin speaks to elements inherently negative, such as obstacles, pressures, and abusive behaviours. The sculpture communicates a spectrum of emotions, inviting its viewers into the ups and downs of life in a city.

Kang’s characters are known for their bright colors, strong outline, and animated facial expressions. From a generation that benefited from the accessibly of television, cartoon and its related toys were Kang’s childhood companions. His aesthetic derived largely from their visual style, and the nostalgic atmosphere when reminiscing on his younger self. For the artist, Big City Life is a portal to innocence, giving Hong Kong citizens energy to face future challenges.

亞洲協會香港中心呈獻南韓藝術家姜錫鉉的首個香港戶外雕塑《都市人生》（2017），喚醒城市人的童真及幻想。

是次雕塑延續姜錫鉉的《都市人生》系列，從上而下展示五個經常出現的原創角色：小丑、貓兔、粉熊、布偶及機械人。小丑縱然樂觀，仍會失落流淚；貓兔象徵歡樂，有貓的熟練又有兔子的天真；粉熊靈感取自藝術家兒時最愛的吹波糖，代表最單純的滿足感；布偶紀念姜錫鉉兒時的安撫枕，影射憤怒及焦慮；機械人則是困難、壓力和暴力的記號。雕塑藉用每個角色的喜怒哀樂，表達藝術家眼中的城市百態。

藝術家成長時電視逐漸普及，童年由動畫及玩具作伴。色彩絢爛、線條鮮明及表情豐富的角色透露了他對卡通的熱忱，以及藝術家對自身童年的懷緬。《都市人生》期望能成為通往純真的隧道，令觀衆拾回初心，積極面對將來的挑戰。