Leung Mee Ping (; born 1961) is a Hong Kong artist. Leung's research-based artistic practice integrates elements of theatre, design, and social space. Leung's works explore issues and themes related to visual culture, effects of globalisation, memory, and material culture.
Personal life and education Leung Mee Ping grew up in a broken family. While studying in primary school, she won a drawing competition. Since that time, she started to fall into drawing and calligraphy.
Leung moved out when she was very young after her parents separated. Despite this, she has always been close to her mother and sisters, who support her and are a main theme of Leung's artworks. After working in a bookstore for two years, Leung saved up and was admitted into École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. In 1983, Leung Mee Ping left Hong Kong and began her art studies in Paris. There, she learned to paint in abstract and expressionist styles. Before she graduated from L' École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts a Paris in 1991, she started exploring with alternative materials to create art. She began creating her work, "Elsewhere (1991-2014)", initiated by a close friend's passing, during this time. It is a mixed media installation consisting of thousands of tea bags sewn together. Made through the repetitive action of sewing teabags, Leung's work is meditative contemplation on being and death. She won the Premier prix Rocheron Award for this work in 1991. Apart from tea bags, various objects such as quail eggs, photos, tiles etc. began to be incorporated in Leung's mixed media art and installation works.
After returning to Hong Kong in 1994, she held her first solo exhibition "Mixed-Media Work by LEUNG MEE PING" in Fringe Club. Leung also worked as an art editor of the Hong Kong Economic Times (hket, a financial daily in Hong Kong). In early 1996, she became a founding member of Para Site, helping to set up the new artist-run space. In 1998, she emigrated to USA and obtained her MFA from California Institute of Arts in 2000.
Following her MFA, Leung obtained a PhD from Chinese University of Hong Kong (Religious & Cultural Studies Department). In 2018, she became a professor at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University.
Exhibitions Leung's works mainly focuses on the ethic, community and memories of the human living situation, They also examine daily life through the perception of daily life itself. Art genres include mixed-media, video, multi-media installation and site-specific event-based project.
Solo exhibitions YearTitleLocation2015Display Distribute: Made in ShenzhenDisplay Distribute, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong2014Star PupasFLEETING LIGHTS Project, Lower Piazza, Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong2014Made in Hong KongOsage Gallery, Hong Kong2013Don't Blame the MoonSingapore Art Fair, Hong Kong AP Contemporary, Singapore2012Reality—Leung Mee-ping Installation Art ExhibitionOX Warehouse, Macau2011Made in Hong KongPemalamo Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan2010Miniature Flat G, No 7Giormani Home Gallery, Hong Kong2006Room with ViewCentre de Reflexion sur I'image et Ses Contexts, Sierre, Switzerland2004In Search of Insomnious SheepTai Mei Tuk Sea Activity Centre, 1a Space, Hong Kong2004Memorize the Future II Exhibition Hall, Tsuen Wan City Hall, Hong Kong / Western Market, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong2003Hong Kong Contemporary—Water Tone: Leung Mee Ping 1992-2003Kaoshsiung Fine Art Museum, Kaoshsiung, Taiwan2002Memorize the FutureHong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong2000Close at a DistanceLime Gallery, California Institute of the Arts, USA1999Memorize the FutureMain Gallery, California Institute of the Arts, USA1998A Poem without a TitlePara / Site Art Space, Hong Kong1995Beyond Hong KongHong Kong Museum of Arts, Hong Kong1994Mon-HairGallery Fringe, Hong Kong1994Mixed-media Works by Leung Mee PingHeineken Gallery, Hong Kong1993LiensGalerie Catherine Flectcher, Paris, France1991Graduation Exhibition of Leung Mee PingL'Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts a Paris, France
Group exhibitions YearTitleLocation2022Hong Kong: Here and BeyondM+, Hong Kong2021Poetic HeritageTai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong 2021New Horizons: Ways of Seeing Hong Kong Art in the 80s and 90sHong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong2020Hi! Flora, FaunaHong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Hong Kong2020Classics Remix: The Hong Kong ViewpointHong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong2019Present Passing: South by Southeast Osage Gallery, Hong Kong 2018Collection of Terry, Debbie and HarryTai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong 2018Land Art Mongolia 5th Biennial 2018 - WHO ARE WE NOW?Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia2018Shenzhen Biennale 2018 - Open SourceLuoHu Art Museum, Shenzhen, China2015Shanghai Urban Space Art 2015 SeasonWest Bund Art Centre, Shanghai, China2015"ArtBat" Public Art FestivalAlmaty, Kazakhstan2015Walking in the DreamsHong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong2015Urban Exotic DilemmaKoo Ming Kown Exhibition Gallery, Hong Kong 2015Artspiration: About LightOil Street Art Space / HKICC, Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, Hong Kong2015Art Basel － Hong Kong Osage GalleryHong Kong Conventional Center, Hong Kong2014Star PupasLower Piazza, Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong2014Delivering PoemChifra Art Park, Shuntak, East Coast, Guangdong, China2014Tighttrope Walking FishShenzhen Public Sculpture Exhibition 2014, Shenzhen, China2014All are Guest — Home ComingHong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong2014FLEX IT! My Body My Temple ProjectThe Parthenon Museum, USA2014Unseen PresenceIrish Museum of Modern Art, Ireland2014HomeFangsou Commune, Guangzhou, China2014Art Basel- Hong Kong Osage GalleryHong Kong Conventional Center, Hong Kong2014Elsewhere- Hong Kong Osage GalleryArt Cologne, Germany2014Kanhaiya & Kumari---[en]counters 2014: Is There Love in The AirJudith Beach, Mumbai, India2014One for One—The Free MarketeersHong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong2014Journeys of Leung Ping-kwan' Exhibition (1949–2013)Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong / Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Taiwan201310th Busan International Video Art FestivalOpenspace Bae, Busan, Korea2013Lost & FoundZ Space, Taichung, Taiwan2013All Are Guests—Hong Kong Week ExhibitionHusashan 1914 Creative Park, Taiwan2013Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial ExhibitionHong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong2013Haein Art Project—International Exhibition of Contemporary ArtSungbo Museum, Haeinsa Temple, South Korea2013Made in India ---[en]counters 2013: powerPLAYStudio X, Mumbai, India2012Coin Making—WorkshopFree Space Fest, West Kowloon Culture District, Hong Kong2012Of Human Scale: Art and EnvironmentThe Hong Kong Art Centre, Hong Kong2012Philosopher's (knock-off) Stone: Turning Gold into PlasticOsage Gallery, Hong Kong2012All are Guests - Liverpool BiennialLJMU Copperas Hill Building, Liverpool, England2012Inwards Gazes—Documentaries of Chinese Performance ArtMuseu de Arts de Macau, Macau2012LOUD: Mapping the Aesthetics of Visual SilenceThe Visual Festival Fringe, Kassel, Germany2012Market ForceOsage Gallery, Hong Kong2012Mobile M+ YAU MA TEIM+ (Museum of Visual Culture, WKCD) Hong Kong2010Each OtherPemalamo Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan2010Videoholica -International Video Art FestivalVarna, Bulgaria2010PreludeCVA Exhibition Hall, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong2010ConvectionDafen Museum of Art, Shenzhen, China2010Home StayOsage Shanghai Gallery, Shanghai, China2010Art of the World Exposition: The City of Forking PathsShanghai Art Expo Main Path, Shanghai, China2010Lending Art Work ProjectShanghai Street Art Space, Hong Kong2010Arrivals and DeparturesUrbis, Manchester, UK2003Mapping Asia -- The 18th Asian International Art ExhibitionHong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong2003Re-appearance of OTsing Fsou Choi?Learning Centre Galleries, Noh Kong Art Centre, Hong Kong2003OCEM projectWest Space, Melbourne, Australia2003Moving OnNUS Museum, National University of Singapore2003Sharjah International BiennialSharjah Museum of Art, Sharjah, U .A .E
Awards YearAwards2015Hong Kong Best Annual Artist Award Hong Kong art Development Council2014IMMA Fellowship Irish Museum of Modern Art, Ireland2013President's Award for Outstanding Performance in Scholarly Work (Service). HKBU2012Artist Residency Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, Britain2011President's Award for Outstanding Performance in Scholarly Work (Creative / Professional Work) HKBU.2010Outstanding Artists of 2010: Martell –NDmedia Art Salon. Martell Art Foundation in China2009Daily Permanent Public Sculpture, National Museum Southern Branch, Chiayi Prince Boulevard, Taiwan2008Civitella Ranieri Fellowship Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Italy2007Two Sites Permanent Art in Public, Zhang Jiang High Technology Park, Shanghai, China2004Freeman Foundation Fellowship Freeman Foundation, USA2003Starr Foundation Fellowship offered by Asian Cultural Council, USA2002Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Award
Notable works
Elsewhere (1991–2002) Initiated by a close friend's passing, Leung began collecting tea bags to create Elsewhere in 1991. Elsewhere is mixed media installation consisting of thousands of tea bags sewn together. Made through the repetitive action of sewing teabags, Leung's work is meditative contemplation on being and death. In 1991, Leung won the Premier prix Rocheron Award for this work.
Memorise the Future (1998–2006) Memorise the Future (1998-2006), first shown at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, is an installation composed of 3,000 children shoes made of human hair (4 to 5 inches for each). Leung collected the hair from over 10,000 people, encompassing one hundred nations, various demographics, also symbolising disparate and diverse 'memories'. She then mixed, knit and wove the collected hair, blurring geographical boundaries and identities. The shoes themselves also carry meaning, pointing towards the future.
Out of place (2005–2011) Out of place (2005-2011) is a series of video installation which feature different places (including Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Sri Lanka and Macau). Leung followed a number of individuals wondering aimlessly through the streets of varying locales, attempting to discover new psychogeographical routes through the mapping of purposeless.
I Miss Fanta (2012) I Miss Fanta was presented as part of Mobile M+: Yau Ma Tei, a series of nomadic pre-opening exhibitions organised by M+. I Miss Fanta consists of three iconic outdoor neon signs of Coca-Cola, Fanta, and Sprite previously installed along Macau's main shopping artery Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, where they were an integral and memorable part of the urban visual landscape. After Leung discovered that two of the signs, had recently been removed, she found and transplanted the signs in this work, re-lighting the neon in the process. She displayed them on the ground of the park in Yau Ma Tei, echoing how they were found on the platform in the Coca-Cola factory in Macau, and documented the move in videos shown in a nearby junk and recycling shop. Leung transforms all these visual symbols related to personal and collective memory into a sculptural installation, bringing the tension between heritage conservation and urban gentrification to the surface as well.
Star Pupas (2014) In 2014, Leung enrolled in Fleeting Light, a large scale media arts exhibition presented by The Hong Kong Arts Development Council. The exhibition was held outside Hong Kong Science Museum during 14 September to 28 September 2014.