The masterful complexity of this etching was instantly apparent to the judging panel, its nuanced and rhythmic detailing drawing viewers in close. Yet peering eyes are shut off by the criss-cross of the firmly closed grille, and we can barely make out the goods inside, their forms deliberately blurred.
The artist tells us, “The Chinese word 'Hark Heng' on the signboard means collaborate and make thriving business together. This traditional grocery store have been providing services in my hometown more than 100 years, marking an era and part of our childhood memory. These old grocery stores are like artworks that record the details of our generation’s lives. As time has gone on, more and more grocery stores fall behind the times, and the Covid pandemic has made their situation worse. What is their future? Will their owners have any choice other than to close them down?”
We notice something unexpected about the picture presented to us – that it is in fact made up of the image of the store as well as part of its mirror image below it. The figure, presumably of the store-owner, cuts a curious shape, as he looks ahead, his own reflection and that of the store around him fading like the characters on the signboard above his door.