Interview with Fiona Wong by Leung Chiwo Warren

At the beginning of the interview, artist Wong Laiching Fiona talks about her transition from training in an art education programme to practising art on her own. Wong has always been interested in mathematics since childhood. When she studied at a college of education, she chose courses in art and design as electives out of curiosity. She later became a teacher, and decided to take a leave of absence and went to the United Kingdom to advance her education, majoring in art education. The one-year sojourn in the United Kingdom was a turning point in her personal development, says Wong (00:00–07:00). After returning to Hong Kong, she found it difficult to readjust to living and teaching in Hong Kong, and felt that her role as a teacher made her into a type of authority, which caused her to lose her creative drive. For this reason, Wong decided to study art at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and began practising art once again in 1995. During that time, she was encouraged by fellow alumni and participated in the Hong Kong Biennial Exhibition (09:25–26:45).  

Wong goes on to compare studying in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, elaborate on the differences between the two experiences, as well as their respective influences on her. Reflecting on her educational experience in the United Kingdom, Wong noted that learners there tended to take initiatives in a positive learning environment. Besides adequate support from schools and instructors, discussions and exchanges of ideas were also encouraged to promote analytical skills. Studying at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, on the other hand, allowed her to think through issues and try out different things. The creative space afforded to her was an important developmental phase for her art (26:45–48:30). In the middle of the interview, she explains that pottery is based on concepts and ideas, and hopes to make a larger exhibited work in terms of size and complexity. Wong also explains the treatment of materials and its relationship with the exhibition space by giving a few examples from exhibitions held at Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, 'Le French May', and Para/Site Central (48:30–1:01:00). She also talks about the reasons for which she has used materials other than clay, and how to draw inspiration for her art from her life experiences (79:45–1:03:40). 

此為梁志和與黃麗貞訪問之錄音

藝術家黃麗貞在訪問開首講述她從學習藝術教育的訓練過程進入個人創作的情況 。黃氏自小喜歡數學，後因好奇心驅使下在師範學院選修藝術與設計；到教學期間，黃氏選擇留職往英國升學，同樣主修藝術教育，認為在英國一年的經歷是個人發展上的轉捩點 (00:00-07:00)。黃氏坦承在回港後難以重新適應香港的居住環境及教學生活，深感教學的崗位會讓自己變成一種權威及失去創作的動力，故選擇到香港中文大學進修藝術，及在1995年後再次投入創作，其間受舊同學鼓勵下參加了香港藝術雙年展 (09:25-26:45)。黃氏繼而分析在英、港兩地學習的不同之處及影響；她認為英國的整體學習較主動及正面，學校及老師的支援亦充足，學術討論具分析性，交流氣氛濃厚；而中大的學習裡則讓她有更多空間嘗試及進行思考， 是一個很重要的創作過程 (26:45-48:30)。 在訪問的中段，黃氏解釋她選擇陶藝是基於構思及想法，並希望創作體積更大、在空間展示上需要更複雜考量的作品，並舉例說明她在牛池灣、「法國五月」及Para/Site Central等幾個展覽中如何處理物料選材及展示空間的關係 (48:30-1:01:00)。黃氏亦談及選擇使用陶泥以外的物料之原因，及如何從生活經驗中獲得創作靈感 (79:45-1:03:40)。