SILENCE (2022)
Timber and paint
SILENCE is a site-specific sculpture created for the cemetery environment. This work voices for the people in Hong Kong - my hometown - and the people from other countries that are currently fighting for democracy.
The plain white wooden billboard has hundreds of hidden messages under the thick layer of white paint, which symbolises how public opinion in Hong Kong has been wiped out under tyranny. People are being arrested even for holding up a blank piece of paper.
They are being silenced, and like those who lie here in the cemetery, can say no more.
About the Artist
Pamela Leung was born in Hong Kong and now lives on Cammeraygal County in Sydney’s North. She has a Master of Fine Art from the National Art School, 2016 and was awarded the Emerging Artist Prize in the 65th Blake Prize 2018. Pamela exhibits widely in Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sweden, Paris and London. With her installation, video, sound, sculpture and painting, Pamela explores everyday life, relationships, connections, displacement and the diaspora. Colours have a significant symbolic status in her work, as well as white, red is important as it is the colour that runs through all people, no matter the colour of their skin.
Transcription
Yes, Hello, I'm Pamela Leung. I'm the artist of the sculpture work, SILENCE.
SILENCE is a site specific sculpture and it is a billboard which made with wood and the size of the billboard is one hundred and twenty two by two forty four centimetres and the height is two-forty centimetres. And when we look at the billboard it might appear just a piece of blank white board, but if you look closely under the light, you might be able to see there's a lot of messengers behind the white paint.
This work had went through, with lots of layer of white paint and under each layer I have written different messages and sand it, sand them back and, you know, painted all over again and sort of keep doing this. Write messages, sand it, paint it and with the last one I even used the machine to engrave the message on the white board and sand it and paint it over and SILENCE is a site specific sculpture created for the cemetery environment and the work is about voice for the people, from my hometown, Hong Kong and other country that are fighting for democracy and freedom and they are being silence, like those who lie here in the cemetery can say no more.
And I hope this work can raise awareness about the political situation in Hong Kong and other country which fighting for freedom and democracy and hope this blank white board will give people space to consider what would be like to have your rights of expression removed and to show empathy to those who are dealing with this action, of the people who have the protests, you know, the holding, the you know the slogan and the messages, this movement. So, that's why I you know, have this this work made. you know and try to voice out and bring some empathy, you know, and raise some, raise some empathy from from people, you know.