Ha Bik Chuen

He liked to use harmonious colors and simple compositions to reveal everyday objects in natural environments, such as autumn foliage, wilting leaves and discarded ropes with special attention to tonal balance and textural treatment.

Primarily known as a sculptor and printmaker, Ha Bik Chuen had parallel practices of photographing exhibitions he attended, and collecting materials including illustrated magazines and artist portraits which he also used in the construction of book collages.

[1] Ha's entire collection has been stored in his Hong Kong studio in To Kwa Wan since his passing in 2009 until its relocation to Fo Tan in 2016.

The relocation was part of a three-year project (2016 – 19) fully funded by Hong Kong Jockey Club to process and selectively digitise the materials.

[1] The exhibition display system was designed by the architects Sarah Kwok Yan Lee and Yutaka Yano,[2] and their students from Chinese University of Hong Kong also collaborated on the project.

[3] The media artist Walid Raad was introduced to the work of Ha Bik Chuen during his 2014 residency at the Asia Art Archive.

'Notes' consists of Traboulsi's reproductions of canonical modern paintings by Arab artists: Inji Efflatoun, Abdel Hadi el-Gazzar, Hamed Nada, Ibrahim el-Salahi, Marwan, Seta Manoukian, among others.