Hong Sek Chern is best known for her architectural paintings of buildings and structures. Using Chinese ink as her medium of choice, she explores linear, non-linear and multi-point perspectives of urban landscapes. Known for her ink paintings depicting interior and exterior spaces of local architecture, Hong juxtaposes urban structures across different times and distances to explore notions of the old and new.
Once There Was a Mountain exemplifies Hong’s experimentation to move beyond flat surfaces by investigating the possibility of imbuing a sense of three-dimensionality in ink painting. She was inspired by the late artist Anthony Poon, who developed the technique of stretching canvas over a premade 3-dimensional form to create his Wave relief series. By boldly reconstructing surface textures with paper relief techniques, Hong simultaneously reinvents yet embraces Chinese brushwork traditions.
