Interview with Esther Liu by Leung Chiwo Warren

At the beginning of the interview, Artist Liu Kitlin Esther says she became interested in drawing in high school. Liu went on to study at the Ontario College of Art and the University of Guelph’s School of Fine Art, where she was inspired by two instructors. It was the turning point of her career in art. Later on, she talks about the days she spent sketching in Tuscany when she studied in Italy. In addition, she held graduation exhibitions, once in Canada and once in Italy. The focus of both exhibitions was portraits (00:00–22:00). After graduation, Liu worked in the advertising industry for one year. During that time, she promoted her works everywhere, which led to praises and recognition from veteran artist King Chialun and art critic Nigel Cameron (22:00–28:00). Liu recalls leaving Hong Kong again for New York City, where she completed a master’s degree programme at New York University, and her ten-year sojourn there. She thinks art and culture in New York City is very diverse, but also fiercely competitive, and she talks about the different treatment artists from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan receive in New York City. Liu felt lost in different periods of her life, such as when she got a divorce, when she was adapting to a new environment, and when she opens up new social circles. Compared to her life in Canada and Hong Kong, Liu’s experiences in New York City allowed her to grow. She became more proactive, which was instrumental for turning things around after her divorce. Therefore, when it was time to leave New York City for Hong Kong, it was also the beginning of a self-discovery stage (28:04–45:00). When it comes to the treatment of two-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces, Liu says her inspiration came from graphic design. As she attempted to present poetry and drawing in mixed media in the exhibition space, the resulting work became the breakthrough in her art (56:00–1:08:38). She continues to discuss the sources of inspiration for her drawings, choosing materials, and imagination and sensitivity when it comes to space (1:19:15–1:29:08). She agrees with the assertion that artists must create works with their own hands. In the last part of the recording, Liu says that recently, design was better suited for expressing her thoughts than drawing (1:29:08–1:31:22).

此為梁志和與廖潔連訪問之錄音

藝術家廖潔連在訪問的開首閳述從中學時期已開始熱衷繪畫，及後升讀加拿大安大略藝術學院及貴湖大學藝術系，期間遇到兩位老師的啟發成為繪畫上的轉捩點。後談及在意大利學習期間到托斯卡納寫生的日子，又在加、意兩地各辦了一次畢業畫展，集中以人像畫為主 (00:00-22:00)。廖氏於畢業後曾返港逗留一年任職廣告工作，期間帶著作品四處自我舉薦，得到不少藝術界前輩如金嘉倫和藝評人金馬倫等的賞識 (22:00-28:00)。廖氏續詳述她離港後在紐約大學修讀碩士課程和在當地生活的十年，她形容紐約的藝術文化相當多元化，競爭亦非常激烈，又談及當地來自中、港、台的華人藝術家之間的不同待遇。廖氏曾經歷幾段迷惘期，包括失婚、適應新環境及開拓社交生活。相對加拿大和香港的生活，在紐約的際遇令她成長，變得更活躍和主動，尤其在離婚後對她有正面及重要的影響，以至後來離開紐約再次返回香港，開始真正認識自己的階段 (28:04-45:00)。而一直在不同地域生活及流動，反而讓廖氏對國籍及東西方價值的不同感到自在；雖然受西方教育及文化影響，但她的作品仍保留一定的個性及東方特質 (45:00-55:40)。在討論二維作品在三維空間中的處理上，廖氏表示受平面設計的啟發，嘗試把詩歌和繪畫以混合媒介的方式在展覽空間中呈現，成為她在創作上的突破 (56:00-1:08:38)。往後又討論繪畫的靈感來源、物料的選擇、對空間的想像和敏感度 (1:19:15-1:29:08)，並認同藝術家親手製作作品的必要性；最後提到近年從設計方面較繪畫更能表達自己的想法 (1:29:08-1:31:22)。