Michael Andrew Law Photography

Michael Andrew Law (born in British Hong Kong, 1982) creates what renowned art dealer Douwe Cramer calls, hyper pop surrealist paintings. Law’s works capture the essence of youth while maintaining a lasting value that appeals to collectors. Indeed, they are appreciated and collected by many Asian notables. The works showcase technical skill and well defined methods. They include classical compositional framing constructs applied to abstract concepts. The technique is visibly evident. In some cases, the pieces are near photorealistic. Law wields his rendering mastery in ways that would intrigue even the old masters.

Taken as a whole, Law’s body of work is significant in many ways. First, it pushes the notion of figurative art into our contemporary age. Yes, the body is a central focus in many of his works. Law applies his traditional anatomical training in the physical representations, but also updates our notions of the body with consideration to gender and identity. He instigates traditionalists with his use of digital tools applied in combination with traditional methods.

The philosophy and symbolism behind the works are quite personal. Law’s lived experience during the tumultuous period of Hong Kong’s hand over to China becomes embedded into his art practice. The paintings are a visual artifact of that journey. Surrealist influences can be seen in his use of handwritten text in combination with female figures. The repetition of calligraphy text is descriptive, typographic, and indicative of the artist as individual. Law successfully merges his Eastern and Western influences through a meshing of symbols and signification. There is a commitment to tradition and lineage, as well as a dedication to all things new.

Law has studied painting with Sam Tsang of the Central Academy of Art in Beijing and with New York native Dan Anderson at his Hong Kong studio. He has also studied film production with Roger Corman. Law has earned illustrious regard as the designer of many cover spreads for the press in Hong Kong and beyond. He has worked as a professional comic artist, illustrator and film producer, but left commercial work to focus on his fine art practice. Law has exhibited at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in The Avenue of Stars, earning him the greatest regard in his home base and abroad.

Law is co-founder of the Hong Kong Art Studio Nature Art Workshop. The organization functions as a supportive environment for the fostering of emerging Hong Konger artists in addition to producing and marketing Law’s related work. As a curator, Law has organized an exhibition of contemporary art that shares a range of responses to HongKong’s Gen Y pop culture. At this point, Law has created over 8,000 works. There are three dozen popular artist books published of Law’s pieces. He has also written essays on contemporary art and films. The artist lives and works in Central District, Hong Kong.

生長於英治末年，交接時期香港的年輕藝術家 Michael Andrew Law，擅長把數碼繪圖，Pop 摩登藝術及古典油畫揉合時事及諷刺，創出獨特的視覺藝術語言及內容，跨越中西混合背景思維界限，探索互聯網世代交錯回歸的中西混雜之香港歷史。

他以自由隨意的手法結合摩登及古典材料與技巧，保持表現與認知、控制與隨性、魯妄與機智、自我與社羣等對立美學力量之間的張力，並對香港Y世代、本土文化及民族社會的殘酷現實作出尖刻的評論。Michael Andrew Law 的作品色彩豐富，寫實風格描繪的冰山美人，刻畫在滿佈流行文化圖像、東方書法標誌及符號的背景上。《白髮女孩糸列》(The Pale Hair Girls，2006 – 2013 年) 的創作之中，Michael Andrew Law 獨特的繪畫風格呈獻出達達主義思考方式般的且出人意表的效果。畫中冰山美人式的人物穿插在抽象的香港和俗世符號上。