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The HKU Centre for Civil Society and Governance team, artist mentors, and Lai Chi Wo village representatives marked the opening of the "Celebrating Traditional Wisdom through Art" Exhibition at the Fringe Club.
An innovative and artistic showcase breathing new life into a 300-year-old Hakka village officially opened yesterday (17 June) in Central. Organised by The University of Hong Kong's Centre for Civil Society and Governance (HKU-CCSG), the contemporary exhibition marks the culmination of the 9-month artist incubation programme, "Celebrating Traditional Wisdom Through Art."
The project brought together three local mentor-artists and 12 emerging artists to immerse themselves in Lai Chi Wo. By fostering deep connections with the landscape and its residents, the artists successfully translated intangible rural wisdoms and memories into compelling contemporary artworks. Centred around three core elements — soil, plants, and sound — the exhibition at The Fringe Club invites urban dwellers to cross-examine and reimagine the concept of rural resilience.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Professor Wai-Fung LAM, Director of the HKU-CCSG, alongside exhibition curator Rachel Cheung. Professor Lam noted that the hospitality and traditional wisdom of the Lai Chi Wo villagers have enriched the University's research and teaching, while the warmth of the rural community has provided a respite for urbanites. Through this incubation programme, he added, the University aims to use the creative work of young artists to channel this emotional bond and Hakka wisdom back into the public eye.
Curator Rachel Cheung stated, "what struck me most deeply was the sheer perseverance, resilience, and optimism of the villagers in their everyday lives. Their ability to find flexible solutions to solve everyday challenges is where their traditional wisdom originates and thrives."
A cornerstone of the incubation programme was an intensive three-day exploratory camp at Lai Chi Wo. Co-led by the HKU-CCSG team and the three mentors, the emerging artists engaged with Lai Chi Wo villagers through structured interviews, creative workshops, and casual daily conversations. The cohort studied the villagers' traditional lifestyles, childhood anecdotes, and the evolving construction of village identity, alongside the unique ecological features of the area. They learned to extract natural dyes from native plants and recorded the diverse natural and anthropogenic soundscapes echoing through the valley.
Prior to the current Central's debut, the collective hosted an Open House in December last year at the Lai Chi Wo Cultural Hub, a restored traditional village house, to share their preliminary creative concepts.
The finalised pieces now on display at The Fringe Club offer distinct aesthetic interpretations of traditional wisdom and adaptability. Some works utilise local raw materials or plant-based pigments, while others draw structural inspiration from the village's architectural characteristics and topography. Several artists focused on historical cooking utensils, traditional fish traps, village wells, and ambient recordings capturing the streams, early morning birds, and the nearby Yantian Container Port.
The programme was guided by three distinguished artist-mentors: ceramic specialist and art educator Rachel Cheung; natural dye expert and environmental artist Benjamin Hao; and mixed-media artist Connie Lo, whose work bridges visual and spatial dynamics to evoke auditory sensations. The 12 participating emerging artists include: Bowie Chan, Calvin Chan, Oychir Cheung, Mingyi He, Dave Ho, Ling Hui, Saan Hui, Carol Leung, Eska Ngai, Cheri Tang, Jessica Wong, Yanis Wong.
Exhibition Details:
Date: 16 – 23 June 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Venue: Anita Chan Lai-ling Gallery, The Fringe Club, Central, Hong Kong
Artwork Introductions:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jTOPT3I7eabA92UTYJUIznzNpPOYlPzf/view?usp=sharing
High-Resolution Images:
