Commemorating its 40th anniversary, the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) presents Honorary Fellowships to distinguished individuals for the first time in recognition of their exceptional achievements in the arts sector and enduring dedication to nurturing young artists. The Inaugural Honorary Fellowship Conferment Ceremony was held today (25 July) at the McAulay Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre. The two distinguished awardees are Ms. Theresa Lee Wai-chun, the esteemed comics artist and author of Miss 13 Dots; and Mr. Samson Young Kar-fai, the distinguished composer and artist who represented Hong Kong at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017.

Mrs. Dominica Yang, Chairman, Board of Governors, Hong Kong Arts Centre, said, “The Honorary Fellowships recognise exceptional achievements in both local and international art scenes beyond Asia, as well as significant devotions to nurturing the next generation of talented artists. Our awardees of this year, Ms. Theresa Lee Wai-chun and Mr. Samson Young Kar-fai, have both not only developed deep ties to the HKAC in unique ways, but also shared the same enlightening vision and passion as ours.”

The HKAC’s Honorary Fellowship is conferred on an individual who has attained distinction in their fields of curatorship, visual arts, music, theatre, comics and animation, public arts, dance, film and media arts.

Brief Biographies of the Two Honorary Fellows:

Theresa Lee Wai-chun
Renowned Hong Kong comics artist Theresa Lee Wai-chun has devoted herself to comics creation in 1960s. Her signature work 13 Dots, first published in 1966, was an acclaimed classic in Hong Kong and a pioneer in girls comics. The title was immensely popular not only within the city but also in other parts of the world from 1960s to 1980s. Female protagonist Miss 13 Dots who is independent, fashionable and righteous. She represents an ideal who challenges women’s submissive position in society at the time. The lovable heroine attracted a huge following from her endless collections of stylish outfits and modern lifestyle.

Samson Young Kar-fai
Samson Young is an artist and a composer. Behind each project of his is an extensive process of research, involving mapping of the process through a series of “sound sketches” and audio recordings. His drawing, radio broadcast, performance and composition touch upon the recurring topics of conflict, war, and political frontiers.

Young was the inaugural winner of the BMW Art Journey Award at Art Basel Hong Kong 2015, and he represented Hong Kong at the 57th Venice Biennale. Other solo presentations include Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (Japan, 2015), Team Gallery (New York , 2015), Para/Site (Hong Kong, 2016), Experimenter (India, 2016), Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (Germany, 2016) and Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (Manchester, 2017). Upcoming projects include the 21st Biennale of Sydney (2018), the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in New York (2018), and the Talbot Rice Gallery as a part of the 2019 Edinburgh Festival.

Image Download: http://ftp.hkac.org.hk/MDD/HKACHonoraryFellowships/2018/

About Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC)
The Hong Kong Arts Centre is a multi-arts centre that fosters artistic exchanges locally and internationally, bringing the most forward creations to Hong Kong and showcasing homegrown talents abroad. The HKAC stimulates innovation and promotes creativity. Being Hong Kong’s only independent non-profit multi-arts institution, the HKAC offers exhibitions, screenings and performances, connecting the arts of Hong Kong to the rest of the world through programmes and collaborations. Come to the HKAC to experience, appreciate, learn and be inspired by arts. http://www.hkac.org.hk

(Image Captions)
● Image01: (From left to right) Mrs. Dominica Yang, Chairman, Board of Governors, Hong Kong Arts Centre; Ms. Theresa Lee Wai-chun, the esteemed comics artist and author of Miss 13 Dots; Mr. Samson Young Kar-fai, the distinguished composer and artist who represented Hong Kong at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 and Ms. Connie Lam, Executive Director, Hong Kong Arts Centre
● Image 02: Ms. Theresa Lee Wai-chun
● Image 03: Mr. Samson Young Kar-fai