portfolio 2022

15 select works by Sui-hin Mak.

i. forbidden origin

Person who has undergone compulsory testing

2022. Pump dispenser bottle, 50 lucky paper stars, paper strip, tape. 23 × 7 × 8 cm. Written text inside: Lifelong peace.

Blue Planet

2022. Personally used surgical masks, wire. ⌀ 45 cm.

artwork description (click to open)

chinese ver on patreon
i like every one of my artworks. this one in particular is something that i have ‘lived in’. when i breathe in these masks, it is already the very act of making the work. artworks do not appear in thin air without any stories behind. it is only good art if the audience thinks about the meaning of your artwork and is free to imagine what it is about.
using surgical masks as an artistic medium has great potential. the only thing is that it takes time to wear surgical masks personally.
these years of unprecedented pandemic must have been unforgettable for a lot of us. i hope my art could cheer you up and inspire you to reflect on related issues and things we have gone past (and which are going on).
not gonna say much on things like circles, spheres, simplicity is beauty etc.
a lot of resources were consumed on Earth to produce masks, like plastic, wire, melt-blown fabric, and more. it seems like masks are everywhere now. maybe you have a lot of masks at home, or maybe you have given them to your neighbours, relatives, and friends, but there are still many masks piling up in landfills.
do you know how long it takes for a mask to decompose? some said it takes about 450 years. so i believe that future archaeologists will find a lot of masks when they dig up our landfills, and then they will think about what happened at that time and whether there were any problems.
all of these masks are ones that i have used myself and stored for only a few months. just one person can use that many masks, let alone the world’s population.
i used to think that i didn’t need to explain my works too much because i thought people would understand what i wanted to say. but then i realized that there was some research and thinking behind it, and if i didn’t explain it, people might not know. i still think that this Blue Planet doesn’t need too much explanation. it should be clear at a glance, and even writing to explain this work seems a bit redundant. i hope my words don’t tarnish the original simplicity of the work.
blue and white must be the colours of the waves, and there are many seas on the surface of the Earth, so it is called the blue planet. why are masks blue? it is also a thought-provoking question. does the blue mean the death of the oceans and the marine life that ate plastic? if the Earth is a blue planet, it is probably because there are too many blue masks made by humans.
in fact, not just masks, but urban people use a lot of things that are harmful to the environment, including food packaging. people used to use saltwater grass to tie things when shopping in the market. but now everything has turned into plastic bags, which is not environmentally friendly.
well, i’m not saying that i will never produce any garbage, but i should produce less than many people.
as long as each of us tries our best to do one thing, the world will change because of it. everyone holds a stake, not too big but not too small, such as choosing whether or not to wear a mask, what to eat tonight, and where to go today. what you do today actually affects others, just like a virus. if you spread negative energy in all directions, it will affect people around you, not just yourself. every time i think about this, i become more certain that i want to use my artistic creation to bring positive energy to others. so, stay positive & stay healthy!

Dŏng Dŏng Dŏng Dōng Dong

2022. Stereo audio. 46 sec. Musique concrète. Cacophony of ‘LeaveHomeSafe’ contact-tracing app. bandcamp.

Obedience

2022. Chlorophyll print on Ficus hispida leaf.
Using plant knowledge from my landscape architecture degree, digital collages can be exposed onto leaves. Still, experimentation is crucial, and the absence of sunlight is a force majeure (weather forecasts cannot predict everything). Versatile, variable, natural, ephemeral.
I have done relief prints on different surfaces and mixed-media collagraphs as well. Starting from printmaking, I have arrived at cyanotypes and cuprotypes. In the process, I found that having an adequate understanding of chemistry is quintessential to a successful photo print, and any innovation on the photographic processes. I have learnt about the uralotype online but never dared to try it without technical guidance.

Bondage

2022. Rock from the base of Lion Rock, red nylon rope, laser printing paper, sticky tack, transparent plastic basins, plastic chairs, water. 170 × 56 × 45 cm.

Text
安心拜神
WorshipSafe
同心抗疫
Together, We Fight the Virus!
請以安心拜神應用程式掃描此符咒辟邪擋煞
Scan this talisman to ward off evil with WorshipSafe app
辟瘟符
Anti-epidemic Talisman

正統道藏・太上老君混元三部符
The Supreme Venerable Lord’s Genesis Tripartite Talismans, Taoist Canon of the Zhengtong Reign
下載安心拜神應用程式
Download the WorshipSafe app

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play
Explore it on App Gallery

Video
邪已辟 Evil dispelled ✅

Long description
Although I’ve never been in a relationship, Bondage is an artwork which talks about modern life, interpersonal and love relationships. I think this installation is somehow ‘world art’, as it intertwines at least Hong Kong, Japanese and Chinese traditions with aboriginal overtones. The wind reminds me of Tibetan prayer flags.

There should never be subordinate relationships between people. Everyone can become a complete person and live their lives. The Confucius saying ‘the ruler should rule, the minister should minister; the father should father, the son should son’ is not advocating that people should be classified into classes, but that the ruler should do what is required of a ruler, like a ruler, and everyone should be themselves.

When the Japanese see two stones side by side in the sea, they call it ‘Meoto Iwa’ or ‘Married Couple Rocks’. This kind of scenic spots are all over Japan. It is ultimately fate which brought the two rocks together and causing them to emerge at the same place. For couples, it should be noted that one doesn’t belong to another, and each is an independent individual. It’s not that surprising even if I call them ‘Classmate Rocks’ or ‘Nemesis Rocks’.

Respect all life, including pets, or when in employer-employee, teacher-student or parent-child relationships.

I was apprised of the cancellation of an English Literature elective at a certain university recently. The reason was that they were afraid of any potential criticism when they discuss Orwell. Obviously Orwell is a great writer, and everyone knows him, so why are you so scared? It seems that immersing into literature too much had damaged their heads. If it keeps going like this, what on earth can be taught or talked about? You should be yourself and be human.

Speaking of modern life, Hong Kong’s ‘LeaveHomeSafe’ contact tracing app is really bewitching and all over the place. Anyway, the app’s function is to drive away viruses in the four cardinal directions and ask the pandemic to recede as swiftly as possible. This kind of function is like worshipping traditional gods and praying for blessings. There were plagues in ancient times, and what people can do is limited. They could only do as much as they could, and pray for heavenly blessings for the rest.

I like to create artworks which incorporate local folk cultural elements. This time, I chose one of the ‘Anti-epidemic Talismans: Dispels the epidemic and brings auspice if hung in front of the court’ in ‘The Supreme Venerable Lord’s Genesis Tripartite Talismans, Taoist Canon of the Zhengtong Reign’. This book contains talismans for different purposes, such as protecting the body, bringing peace home, dispersing rustic earthly energy, stopping wastage, boosting the productivity of farms and silkworms, etc. It is compiled very systematically and logically, and it can be called a practical reference book.

Usually Married Couple Rocks are tied with the Shimenawa rope. Traditionally made of hemp, the rope is used to ward off evil spirits and protect sacred and important places, such as sacred trees. However, were the rocks asked for consent before being tied up together? Or is it just one’s wishful thinking? Love comes from the heart, and cannot be forced.

If two entities are connected by such things, do they seem like hi-bye friends?

Is one rock coercively pulled towards to another, are the rocks in opposition, or are they coexisting harmoniously? Are they close or distant? Are they big macho man and little lady, or big chauvinist woman and little man? In fact, stones have no gender, and those who are coercively pulled by others can also pull oppositely. Just like the Amah Rock, why is the rock supposed to be waiting for the husband to return? Can’t the rock wait for the wife to return? Or waiting for a cat to return? Can it be called Monkey Rock, Cat’s Rock or Dog Rock? Although stones are just stones, they can have different imaginative associations. I hope to broaden everyone’s imagination of art and the future.

To keep this brief, topics related to Bondage and rope binding, relationships, modern gardens and landscapes, forms, negative space and talismans etc will be discussed later. Hey, but please bear in mind I’m not into ropes.

I want to keep the mythical field open, and keep making art to convey hope to everyone, so that you can have something to smile about. Recently, I have been experimenting different stuff. I hope to make good encouraging art.

ii. city

Elevator

2016. Wood, acrylic, tracing paper, paint, fishing line, angle brackets. 1.2 × 0.8 × 3.5 m. Performance ‘the owl’ 30 min approx at HKU Black Box Theatre: ‘Urban Islands’ in Island Cities & Urban Archipelagos 2016 conference. Conference organised by the HKU School of English and the Department of Geography, with the Division of Landscape Architecture. Collab with MFA Creative Writing students and professional dancers.

drifting my way home

2021.09. Guitar and storytelling performance. 1 h 30 min. Let’s Be Together Arts Festival. Guitar, laptop, mixer, speakers, projector.
It is about an unforgettable homeless experience in Australia after being robbed in Melbourne. Broke, I had to sleep on the streets, in various public places (in the supermarket, toilet, fast-food restaurant, petrol station etc.) and on the train overnight. Eventually I walked on foot and hitchhiked to Sydney to take a flight back to Hong Kong. Poverty and hunger are basic daily problems, while microaggressions and indifference are much less of a problem. I still upheld the traveller’s carefree spirit and explored around where possible. You must learn to adapt in this kind of environment. Performed with SFXs and visuals. Photo courtesy of Mr CHUK Yin-man.

Solargraphy project (in progress)

Spring 2022 – Present. Photographic paper 5″ × 8″ 100pcs, crowler aluminium cans 550mL 100pcs, gaffer tape, sticky tack.
Installed to photograph the Lion Rock, Victoria Harbour, PolyU, Nathan Road, YOHO Mall, Southorn Playground etc. – places throughout different regions of Hong Kong, in mostly urban and some rural areas. I contacted local store owners supportive of art photography, family members and friends who are willing to place pinhole cans at their homes for installing personally. I also reached out to stores I hadn’t known, located at places I wished to photograph. Of course, quite a bunch of people have failed this trust test. Scheduling time slots for everyone and routing the itinerary was an administrative marathon. People of nearby locations might not be available at the same time. I’m profoundly grateful that a local brewery had lent me a canning machine and their refrigerated warehouse as a makeshift darkroom (down jacket was worn). Photos 1 & 12 above belong to the respective participants.

iii. error

tofu

2018. Single-channel film. 1 min 30 sec. Film inspired by ‘Webdriver Torso’ video series and TO Fu’s poetry. Every frequency is derived by Chinese Telegraph Code (0000-9999), while the images show the corresponding kanji word by word. youtube (login reqiured).
Prizes: Duemila30 Short Film Contest 2018 – Laurel; InShort Film Festival 2018 – Laurel; Fiorenzo Serra Film Festival 2019 (Italy) screening; Queer Asia Film Festival 2019 (London & British Museum) screening; Bad Video Art Festival 2019 (Moscow) screening.

TO Fu’s poem
Chinese ‘poet saint’ TO Fu (DU Fu; 712–770) described war in his famous poem Spring View (757):

The nation is broken, mountains and rivers remain.
In cities in spring, grasses and trees grow deeply.
Sensing the moment, flowers shed tears.
Hating the separation, birds are fearful at heart…

Watchtower fires have burnt continuously for three months.
A letter from home is worth ten thousand pieces of gold.
My white hair is even scarcer from scratching.
And can barely hold a hairpin.

Film stills

-----

world peace

2019.02. Digital collage. 2000 × 2000 px.

Treasure Hong Kong, our home (Cover by Carrie Lam) Original MV

2019.09.30. Single-channel film. 1 min 11 sec. youtube. Lyrics written for the original government TV commercial melody, personally sung by Mrs LAM (snippets repitched and edited). Karaoke video.

i want good fortune!

2018.08 / 2019.04. Sound art performance. 45 minutes. Performed at McAulay Studio. Arduino, motor, wood, table, found objects, mannequin, spherical push lights, microphone model, glow sticks, poe divination moon blocks, laptop, projector, audio interface, 8-channel speakers, connection wires and cables. Sound Forms multichannel sound festival.
It shows how the city and current systems are out of order, having various states of misconnections and anticommunication. These mishaps are explained by Western astrology and Chinese numerology. Eventually the Hongkong traditional ‘petty person beating’ ceremony was performed to try warding off evil and changing fate. Received standing ovations.
Offshoot of own concrete poetry published on a local zine in 2018.

iv. resolution

Peccata Onanitica

2018. Stereo audio. 1 min 7 sec. Fast-forwarded recording of silent masturbation, taboo and oppression. bandcamp.
First presented in Sound Brood 2018.
Inspiration to Mr Samson YOUNG’s Muted situations series.

wonggok, No.1 in future archaeology series

2022.11. Self-guided audio tour. 50 – 60 minutes. Mong Kok.
Future imaginations were explored in this self-guided audio walk titled ‘future archaeology’, where archaeologists of the far future try to make sense of our present and near future. After the death of the Internet, war(s) and apocalypse(s), what would be excavated and left behind as doubtful place history and urban legends? How would our culture evolve? How would technology and new hierarchies of power shape the future society? The flooded areas are derived from a digital terrain model of Hong Kong. Sea level rise vs reclamation. . .
*The route will be updated with more spots & themes soon. See the page above for the latest news!

Paperweight

2022. Ink on sticky note, wood, tape. 10.5 × 7.5 × 5 cm.

Text
National Security Education Day. Uphold National Security; Safeguard Our Home. // Heaven resolves, bestowing fortune & auspice; Earth resolves, transforming difficulty, giving birth to kindness. The Greatly Accomplished Seven Prime Stellar Worthies of the Northern Dippers’ Hundred Resolving Talisman. Warrant of heaven’s grace to bestow fortune, dissolve disasters, resolve and dispel the Hundred Evils. [Followed by three sigils and three human figures.] 1ˢᵗ, resolve the ten disasters and hundred hardships. 2ⁿᵈ, resolve the evil stars of the four seasons. 3ʳᵈ, resolve so that the hundred matters are not prohibited. 4ᵗʰ, resolve ulcers, scabies, the stars of falling. 5ᵗʰ, resolve legal disputes and slander. 6ᵗʰ, resolve unquiet at home. 7ᵗʰ, resolve disasters of water, fire, and bandits. 8ᵗʰ, resolve the daily evil stars. 9ᵗʰ, resolve unlucky omens. 10ᵗʰ, resolve disagreements between husband and wife. 11ᵗʰ, resolve quarrel among fowls and bad involvements. 12ᵗʰ, resolve the hundred sicknesses; dissolve them. May the Heavenly Master bestow blessings, protection, peace; dispel evils; bring in fortune to the Hall. Swiftly! Swiftly! As ordered by Taishang Laojun (the Supreme Venerable Lord)! Submitted by the purified disciple in Year ____, Month ____, Day ____.

thank you. hope you enjoyed it!

disclaimer
this is a work of fiction. names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.