Re-Experiencing Waves with Wendy Lau

Join Hong Kong artist UUendy Lau, our current Ignite Studios @ NRCG visiting Artist-in-Residence, to create a collaborative art installation. Being born and raised in a coastal city Hong Kong, artist UUendy Lau shares a different view on what she sees and experiences in another city by the ocean in Ballina. She loves sitting by the water, observing and listening to the motion of the current. She reads the colour, pays attention to the shapes and wonders the resonance.

The art installation will be created collaboratively with community members and UUendy over a series of three FREE workshops. Join UUendy on one of these workshops to co-examine the (future) status of the water and the environment in Ballina through art making.

WORKSHOP 1  //  Between Waves - Collage & Story Workshop

Date: 22 September 2018
Time: 10.00am - 11.30am
Cost: FREE (All materials provided) 
All ages. Children under 8yrs to be accompanied by an adult.

‘Between Waves’ is an experimental workshop that plays with visual images to stimulate one’s fantasy on the Ballina neighbourhood and beyond. Participants will be instructed to create an interesting collage out of the quirky photos and leaflets were taken by Hong Kong artist UUendy Lau during her residency and art exploration in Ballina. They will then be guided to describe the artwork simply in 5 sentences narrating a new story from a different perspective.

Outcomes from the workshop will be framed and exhibited at Ignite Studios @ NRCG as part of the artist’s installation, ‘Re-Experiencing Waves’. It will serve as an inspirational photo album for visitors to envision the future river and ocean around Ballina. Participants will be able to get back their own collage creations at Ignite Studios after the exhibition.

WORKSHOP 2  //  Making Waves - Creating Patterns & Illustration Workshop

Date: 22 September 2018
Time: 2.00 pm - 4.00pm
Cost: FREE (All materials provided) 
Ages: 12+

Join UUendy Lau, the artist from Hong Kong, for a meditative art workshop, ‘Making Waves’, to create a community installation inspired by and capturing the waves of the Richmond River.

Being her first time to be in Australia, UUendy Lau is deeply intrigued by the calmness and impact of the water along Ballina. She finds the waves exceptionally healing and empowering. As an artist and illustrator, she likes to document her encounters on canvas, at the same time transforming the reality into another interesting visual language to express her thoughts. During the workshop, she will guide participants to create unique wave patterns on canvas with tools, curiosity and imagination.

Coinciding with her installation, ‘Re-experiencing Waves’, the illustrated canvas will be on display suspended from the ceiling at Ignite Studios @ NRCG, inviting visitors to observe waves from another perspective, this time being undersea. At the end of her exhibition, she will dismantle the canvas and turn it into several giveaway items including placemats, table runners and decorative wall hanging for the community.

For ages 12+ and all skill levels.

Feel free to bring images and photos of waves as an inspiration to add to your pattern!

WORKSHOP 3  //  Beneath Waves - Lively Whale Tails Clay-Making Workshop

Date: 23 September 2018
Time: 10.00am - 11.30am
Cost: FREE (All materials provided) 
Ages: 12+

Whale watching is one of the highlighted events in Ballina. ‘Beneath Waves’ takes inspiration from the activity as well as the characteristics and motion of whales, and invites participants to make a miniature of whale tails using clay with Hong Kong artist UUendy Lau. These mini-sculptures will then be powered by kinetic motors and computer programmes and will spin in an unusual yet interesting pattern that reflects the vividness and behaviour of whales in Ballina.

The mini-artworks created will be displayed in an art scenario and exhibited at Ignite Studios @ NRCG as part of the artist’s installation, ‘Re-experiencing Waves’. Visitors will have a chance to watch ‘whales’ in a new location, scale and setting. The innovative experience will get the audience to imagine and wonder the unseen and undiscovered conditions beneath the waves.

With limited places, don't miss out!

 

ARTIST STATEMENT - UUendy Lau

RE-EXPERIENCING WAVES

Being born and raised in a coastal city Hong Kong, artist UUendy Lau shares a different view on what she saw and experienced in another city by the ocean, Ballina. She loves sitting by the water, observing and listening to the motion of the current. She reads the colour, pays attention to the shapes and wonders the resonance. She is moved by the harmony of the city created by the river. It demonstrates a tremendous contrast to her hometown which is filled up by skyscrapers, noise and discontentment. She had once been disconnected from the water but she seems to have found the attachment back in Ballina. The coexistence between humans and water appears to be an endless subject to be continuously reviewed and appreciated. The apparently ceaseless waves thus act as a reminder of continuous balance, strength and energy from nature. UUendy Lau questions the dissimilar impressions on water from various perspectives and explores the curiosity of the neighbourhood, the aboriginal heritage and the culture through different art experiences. Residing in an unfamiliar district, she takes the opportunity to re-experience and re-connect one of the most beautiful and inspiring natural phenomena - waves.

As a selected artist of the Ignite Studios @ NRCG Visiting Artist residency programme, she will be facilitating several collaborative workshops for the community to co-examine the (future) status of the water and the environment in the city. All the art deliverables from the activities will be presented in her installation at the end of her project. Part of the exhibits will then be dismantled and restyled into giveaway souvenirs as a present for the residents.

Further information on UUendy Lau and previous projects can be viewed on her website www.uuendylau.com