Asia Art Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 78 Week of 17 August 2026
(1) Sotheby’s Presents Yayoi Kusama 70-Year Retrospective
Sotheby’s Maison in Central, Hong Kong, hosted a 70-year retrospective exhibition dedicated to Yayoi Kusama. Featuring works from the 1950s to the 2010s across three thematic zones, the showcase highlights her artistic evolution, rare early pieces, consumer culture paintings, and iconic pumpkin and polka-dot motifs.
(2) Hong Kong Sculptor Margaret Yeung Showcases Bronze Landscape Art in Tokyo Exhibition
Hong Kong sculptor Margaret Yeung exhibited her signature bronze landscape sculptures in Tokyo. Blending classical Chinese ink aesthetics with modern bronze casting and reclaimed wood, her artwork explores environmental themes and advances Hong Kong’s presence in international contemporary art.
(3) Cross-Disciplinary Photography Exhibition “How Many Lights Does a City Have” Set to Debut in Hong Kong
Presented by OM SYSTEM and art-mate, the photography exhibition “How Many Lights Does a City Have” features works by five cross-disciplinary creators capturing light across Hong Kong.
(4) West Kowloon Cultural District Drives Hong Kong’s Cultural Hub Ambitions Under National 15th Five-Year Plan
West Kowloon Cultural District Chairman Bernard Chan highlighted Hong Kong’s strategic role under the 15th Five-Year Plan. Through initiatives like touring the Yayoi Kusama exhibition and musical The Impossible Trial – a musical, Hong Kong is leveraging East-meets-West curatorial strengths to bolster international cultural exchange and arts tourism.
(1) Sotheby’s Presents Yayoi Kusama 70-Year Retrospective
(Photo Credit: hk01)
Sotheby’s Asia flagship gallery, Sotheby’s Maison at Landmark Chater in Central, Hong Kong, presented a retrospective exhibition titled YAYOI KUSAMA. Running through August 20, 2026, the exhibition surveys seven decades of the globally influential contemporary artist’s career, showcasing paintings, works on paper, and screenprints spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s.
Curated across three themed zones—”Nature and Nurture,” “Fauna and Flora,” and “The Urban and Pop”—the retrospective traces Kusama’s artistic evolution from her early years in Japan to her career breakthrough in New York and her eventual rise as an international cultural icon. Highlights include rare early works such as The Pacific Ocean No. A.B.X. (1959), a paper piece capturing her ambitious transition upon arriving in New York, and Sunset Grapes (1988), which blurs abstract and figurative boundaries to express nature as a psychological outlet.
The exhibition also features her 1984 painting Handbag, illustrating her early engagement with consumer culture, fashion, and daily objects—foreshadowing her signature pop culture collaborations. Alongside these rare showcases, iconic motifs such as her signature “Infinity Nets,” floral patterns, and pumpkin screenprints (including a 1982 Pumpkin print) are on display, offering visitors an intimate look at how Kusama transformed personal healing into an enduring, world-renowned artistic language.
(2) Hong Kong Sculptor Margaret Yeung Showcases Bronze Landscape Art in Tokyo Exhibition
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
Contemporary Hong Kong sculptor Margaret Yeung featured her signature bronze landscape sculptures at a major international art exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. Known for fusing traditional Chinese ink aesthetics with three-dimensional bronze casting and natural wood elements, Yeung’s showcased works re-examine the relationship between urban living, natural ecology, and classical Eastern philosophy on a global stage.
Yeung’s featured series transforms the traditional concept of Chinese landscape painting (Shan Shui) into tangible, tactile structures. By combining sculpted bronze branches with reclaimed timber and natural stone textures, her creations evoke the peaceful atmosphere of traditional ink landscapes while reflecting on environmental sustainability and modern urban isolation. The exhibition in Tokyo highlights her continuing efforts to bridge Hong Kong’s unique cultural identity with broader East Asian art movements.
The Tokyo showcase received strong interest from Japanese collectors, art critics, and international gallery representatives. Organizers noted that Yeung’s ability to re-interpret classical Eastern landscape motifs through contemporary multi-media techniques offers a fresh, distinct voice within the Asian contemporary art scene. Her participation marks another milestone for Hong Kong artists expanding their creative footprint across international art capitals.
(3) Cross-Disciplinary Photography Exhibition “How Many Lights Does a City Have” Set to Debut in Hong Kong
(Photo Credit: Orange News)
Presented jointly by OM SYSTEM and art-mate, the cross-media urban photography exhibition “How Many Lights Does a City Have” will be held at DEVEDO in Wong Chuk Hang from August 19 to 22 and August 26 to 29. The project invited five Hong Kong creators from diverse artistic backgrounds—lighting designer Wing Yan Hui, theatre director and actress Fiona Yim, musician and creator Justin Siu, physical artist Alysa Leung, and visual artist Hailey Ko—to document urban lightscapes across the city using OM-3 cameras.
The exhibition showcases five distinct artistic interpretations of light in Hong Kong. Lighting designer Wing Yan Hui captured natural light interacting with urban architecture in North Point in her work Floating Light, Fragmented Shadows. Theatre director Fiona Yim focused her lens on clouds and sunlight filtering through foliage. Creator Justin Siu documented sunlight reflecting off glass curtain walls in Sheung Wan in Keep Walking, choosing a purely photographic process without AI generation tools.
Physical artist Alysa Leung selected Tai O as the setting for Mirage, adopting an imaginative perspective to connect with the coastal environment. Visual artist Hailey Ko focused on a tree in Yau Tong for Drawing Trees, examining how nature coexists with daily urban routines. In addition to the exhibition, two sharing sessions titled “OM3 and Five Perspectives: The Birth of a Photography Exhibition” featuring the participating creators will take place on August 21 and 26 at the OM SYSTEM Showroom in Mong Kok.
(4) West Kowloon Cultural District Drives Hong Kong’s Cultural Hub Ambitions Under National 15th Five-Year Plan
(Photo Credit: RTHK)
Bernard Chan, Chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, emphasized Hong Kong’s growing role as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange. Supporting China’s 15th Five-Year Plan guidelines and the Hong Kong SAR government’s five-year consultation strategy, the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) is leveraging Hong Kong’s talent pool and curatorial expertise to advance a strategy of “bringing in global talent and going global.”
Chan cited the M+ museum’s Yayoi Kusama exhibition as a standout success, which premiered in Hong Kong with international loans before touring Spain and Portugal. Similarly, the Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Civilization brought artifacts from Shanghai to Hong Kong with local curation. Drawing parallels to financial and cultural hubs like London and New York, Chan noted that integrating arts, culture, and sports enhances Hong Kong’s overall global competitiveness.
In performing arts, Paul Tam Siu-man, Executive Director of Performing Arts at WKCD, highlighted international cross-border initiatives, such as hosting France’s famous Le Cabaret de Paris at the WestK Cabaret Festival. Simultaneously, WKCD’s original co-produced musical The Impossible Trial – a musical toured mainland cities like Beijing and Shanghai to critical acclaim, marking a landmark achievement for Hong Kong’s homegrown theater. Furthermore, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and local commercial sectors continue to support Chinese culture and emerging creative IPs in expanding overseas.
News Source: https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1866667-20260819.htm
