Description

"Mercedes Ng is an oil painter who lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah. A native Hong Konger, her vibrant and cheerful paintings pay special tribute to her homeland. From bustling malls to jam-packed street markets, Hong Kong is known for its many crowds. Her paintings often involve cityscapes and still lifes, which are intentionally lacking in population. By portraying her home in this manner, her objective is to create superficially playful stories tinted with a sense of forsaken uncanniness.

Mercedes was educated at the University of Utah and later finished her Bachelor of Arts at Brigham Young University in 2020. She has recently been selected as a recipient for two grants. One from “New Beehive” project as well as the “I Am” initiative which is organized by the Center for LDS Arts. Her works have been and are scheduled to be shown in exhibitions in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Ireland.

More info can be found at her website/Instagram: mercedesng.com / @mercedesng_art

Recollection is a series of paintings that explore my identity as a “Hong Konger” and a commentary on the unsettling situation of my home. Commonplace in Hong Kong, such as restaurants and street markets, stand as symbols to politically sensitive events that have happened over the years. Imagining people under such political instabilities, many of them are forced to censor themselves and cloak their true beliefs. Eventually, someone as modest as a fruit seller may need to seek cover behind a painted mask or see themselves disappear entirely.

My memory of my home is the only thing I can hold on to with life's uncertainties. By recollecting these bits and pieces of my past, I gain a sense of control and am able to move on into the unknown."