Asia Art Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 44 Week of 15 December 2025
(1) Hong Kong selects 2 artists for 2026 Venice Biennale to explore life’s ‘poetic rhythms’
The pairing of Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui for Hong Kong’s exhibition at the 2026 Venice Biennale presents a study in contrasts.
(2) Labubu’s growth from books to cultural viral doll craze shown in Hong Kong exhibition
A touring exhibition celebrating Lung Ka-sing’s The Monsters, which birthed the popular Labubu, has come to Hong Kong.
(3) Exhibition of Franco-Chinese print master Zao Wou-Ki opens in Hong Kong
Sotheby’s Hong Kong achieved a record-breaking, “white-glove result” at its Masterpieces of Asian Art from the Okada Museum of Art Auction.
(4) Louvre’s largest showcase in China goes on display at Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai
Starting with four pieces from the collection of the king of France, Louis XIV, the largest showcase of the Louvre in China is taking place in Shanghai, featuring more than 300 artifacts from the museum’s collection.
(1) Hong Kong selects 2 artists for 2026 Venice Biennale to explore life’s ‘poetic rhythms’
(Photo Credit: Xiaomei Chan)
Hong Kong will be represented by artists Kingsley Ng Siu-king and Angel Hui Hoi-kiu at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, marking the first time since 2007 that the city will not feature a solo artist. The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) and Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) are jointly organizing the exhibition, which will explore “the poetic rhythms of everyday life” in response to the biennale’s theme “In Minor Keys.” This will be Hong Kong’s 13th participation in the prestigious international art exhibition.
The two artists present a study in contrasts: Ng specializes in immersive, technology-driven media installations that create participatory experiences, while Hui is known for her contemporary interpretations of traditional Chinese art, particularly gongbi ink painting on tissue paper and blue-and-white ceramics. Ng’s work aligns with the government’s focus on arts and technology integration, whereas Hui’s practice supports the promotion of traditional Chinese culture. Both artists lecture at Baptist University’s Academy of Visual Arts.
This edition marks a departure from the past six biennials, which were curated by M+ with a focus on “Hong Kong-ness” and cosmopolitanism. The 2026 exhibition will be collectively curated by the HKMoA team, selected from over 200 artists considered. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan participate as “collateral events” rather than having national pavilions like China, which has yet to announce its 2026 plans. The exhibition will be staged at Campo della Tana in Venice.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3336424/hong-kong-selects-2-artists-2026-venice-biennale-explore-lifes-poetic-rhythms
(2) Labubu’s growth from books to cultural viral doll craze shown in Hong Kong exhibition
(Photo Credit: Syrena Jin/SCMP)
A new exhibition titled “Monsters by Monsters: Now and Then” at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre celebrates the 10th anniversary of illustrator Lung Ka-sing’s “The Monsters Trilogy,” which introduced the beloved Labubu characters. Featuring unpublished sketches, sculptures, and vinyl toys, the retrospective showcases the evolution of Lung’s elf-inspired universe, which he says has always been driven by the “joy of creation.” The exhibition, structured in reverse chronological order across five zones, runs until January 4 after touring Shanghai and Taipei.
The display highlights Lung’s long-standing partnership with Hong Kong toy company How2work, which began producing collectibles from his illustrations in 2011, and later with Pop Mart, whose blind-box Labubu dolls sparked a global craze. Lung, who splits his time between Hong Kong and Belgium, credits his multicultural upbringing—including years in the Netherlands—for inspiring his blend of Nordic folklore and European legends, which earned him the 2003 European Picture Book Award.
The exhibition underscores Lung’s deep ties to Hong Kong, featuring a new oil painting with a local backdrop and referencing recent collaborations like September’s “The Monsters x HKIA” installation at the airport. Looking ahead, Lung will serve as artistic director for Complexcon Hong Kong in March 2026, further cementing his role in enriching the city’s cultural landscape through imaginative, character-driven storytelling.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3336474/labubus-growth-books-cultural-viral-doll-craze-shown-hong-kong-exhibition
(3) Exhibition of Franco-Chinese print master Zao Wou-Ki opens in Hong Kong
(Photo Credit: Peter Parks/Islander Media Group)
M+ museum in Hong Kong has opened the first Asian exhibition dedicated exclusively to the print works of Franco-Chinese artist Zao Wou-Ki, featuring over 200 prints donated by his widow, Françoise Marquet-Zao. The display showcases the artist’s evolution from early figurative pieces to vibrant abstract works inspired by natural elements and Chinese calligraphy, alongside engravings created for poems by his friends Henri Michaux and René Char.
Born in China in 1920, Zao moved to Paris in 1948, where he sought to be recognized simply as a painter—like his contemporary Pierre Soulages—rather than as a “Chinese painter” producing “chinoiseries.” The exhibition highlights how his 1958 teaching stint in Hong Kong, his first return to Asia since leaving for France, allowed him to reconnect with Chinese culture and marked a decisive turn toward abstraction.
Zao maintained a special relationship with Hong Kong, where Eastern and Western influences converge. Curator Wu Mo noted that his semester teaching in the city had a “long lasting influence on the Hong Kong culture scene,” with the exhibition underscoring how this period closed one chapter of his career and solidified his commitment to lyrical abstraction, a style that now commands high prices at international auctions.
News Source: https://www.keybiscayneportal.com/news/national/exhibition-of-franco-chinese-print-master-zao-wou-ki-opens-in-hong-kong/article_652f2d4c-c899-58b9-b708-920375e42336.html
(4) Louvre’s largest showcase in China goes on display at Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai
(Photo Credit: Gao Erqiang/Chinadaily)
The largest showcase of Louvre Museum artifacts ever held in China, titled “The Wonder of Patterns: Masterpieces from India, Iran and the Ottoman World from the Musée du Louvre,” opened at Shanghai’s Museum of Art Pudong on December 13, featuring over 300 works from the 16th to 19th centuries. The exhibition includes four inaugural pieces from French King Louis XIV’s personal collection and spans diverse media including ceramics, carpets, jewelry, glassware, and paintings, with some items displayed publicly for the first time.
The exhibition highlights the shared artistic language of pattern design across three major historical realms—the Mughal Dynasty (India), Safavid Dynasty (Persia), and Ottoman Empire—while acknowledging their distinct aesthetic traditions and metropolitan centers. Curators emphasize how these classical patterns continue to influence contemporary design in jewelry, architecture, bookbinding, and graphics, aiming to help modern audiences discover the enduring modernity and vitality within historical decorative arts.
By presenting a comprehensive perspective on early modern decorative arts from these interconnected civilizations, the exhibition seeks to engage younger visitors by demonstrating how historical patterns maintain relevance in today’s design landscape. The showcase will run through May 6, offering Shanghai audiences an unprecedented opportunity to explore the Louvre’s collections from Asia and the Middle East while drawing connections between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary visual culture.
News Source: https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-ArtExhibitions/20251215/353399c2031c40a88f4cebe571a59ece.html
