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