Biography
LAW Man Lok (a.k.a Lawman) (b.1978)
MFA, Goldsmiths College, University of London (2007); BA, CUHK (2001). Works and lives in H.K. With the influence of Conceptual Art and Pop art genre, Law's works emphasize on the synergy of imagination and criticality. Key concerns of his individual practice: Image / Meaning / Remodernization / Popularity / Low-Fi.
Except individual art practices, Law's concern on art and the public also led him to collaborate with different artists and art groups, after his MFA study at Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2007, Law became the anchor of RTHK TV programme Cultural Magazine (2008) and was then continuously invited by media to discuss ideas of art & culture, including “Design Cities” of RHTK (2009) . Also in 2009, he co-founded the artist collective Wooferten, which has already passed onto a younger generation, which focuses on community art and socio-political art experiments.
Lawman has participated in various artist-in-residence programs, which include: Project "Out of institution", The Philosophy Department, The Lingnan University (2008, HK); "Art Hotpot" - an art exchange program between visual artists from Sopot and Hong Kong, Zatoka Sztuki and C&G Artpartment (2012, Sopot); International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), supported by the Asian Cultural Council (2012, NY); Largo das Arte Artist-in-residence supported by Home Affair Bureau and Art Development Council (2014); Vermont Studio Centre Residency supported by Art Development Council (2015).
Law has a dialogue on Hong Kong art with Ng Ka Chun which is published in Torrent no.2 (Daniel Kurjakovic, Burger Collection, 2014). His article, "Art and the Symbols of Exception" is published in Creative Space—Art and Spatial Resistance in Asia (ed. Hui Yuk and DOXA, 2012). Law's works are published in Hong Kong Eye: Hong Kong Contemporary Art (Serenella Ciclitira and Chang Tsong-Zung, Thames and Hudson, 2012).
Together with renowned Hong Kong comic artist Kongkee, we have an animation & comic business. Our company, Penguin Lab's animation, commissioned by RTHK, “Howl the Mobile Fatty” (2013) won the Silver Award of the Animation Category in the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2013: Best Digital Entertainment Award. And their other RTHK commissioned animation, “Saveur Térébenthine” (2014), won the 16th DigiCon6 ASIA Awards (Hong Kong). The original stories and scripts of these two animation films are written by Law.
For curatorial practice, Law’s projects include both the fine arts and design field. I was one of the first few people who assisted in the Public Art programme initiated by the Art Promotion Office, LCSD and then also highly involved in the Hong Kong public space discussion, including being invited as a guest anchor and researcher in the Barcelona episode of Design Cities (Co-produced by RTHK and Hong Kong Design Centre) on the topic of public space design. I was also the first curator of the "Detour" programme series in the Business Of Design Week.
