Sonya Fu

Fuck Off Okay?

Giclee print on Innova paper

48 cm X 34.9 cm

Limitied Edition of 5

Local digital painter Sonya Fu made the switch from graphic designer to full-time artist after her first successful solo exhibit in 2010. She tells Leanne Mirandilla about the young artist scene in Hong Kong and the inspirations behind her moody, intense pieces. (And, no, she is not a goth.)

HK Magazine

By Leanne Mirandilla& published Feb 02, 2012

HK Magazine: Your current work looks more lighthearted and playful compared to your earlier works. Did you set out to purposefully change your style for this exhibit?

Sonya Fu: I used to have a darker style. People even asked me if I’m a “gothic girl” [laughs]. I really don’t like that term. I don’t want to give people the wrong impression—that I’m a negative person. But on the other hand, I still want to keep my style. Maybe my current style is still a little bit too “dark” for some, but I don’t really care. That’s what art is for.

HK: How do you hope viewers will react to your work?

SF: I want to touch people’s emotions first. I want people to stop and look at my paintings—not just look and then walk away. I want people to think about the meaning behind the work. When people ask me about the meaning behind my paintings, I prefer that they take a look first, because I want them to come up with their own interpretations. If I wanted to tell stories, I’d just be a writer instead of a painter.

HK: What are some of the odder interpretations people have had?

SF: It’s interesting when people tell me their interpretations. I get some really religious feedback, or people think my paintings are sad. People even ask me—about that piece over there [she gestures to “Skin Deep,” pictured]—if it is a suicidal piece, and I tell them, “No, it’s not.” And then they ask me, “Why can’t you use more color and make your work more fun and happy?” But it’s not appropriate to use a fun composition for this subject matter.

HK: Where do you usually get the inspiration for your work?

SF: There are a lot of subtle messages behind every piece. I get my inspiration mostly from my dreams and nightmares, the news, the human condition, things that happen around us and social injustice—like the freedom problem in some countries, discrimination, corporate greed. Everyone is talking about this. Things are getting worse in Hong Kong. The rent is just crazy high everywhere.It’s ridiculous. I see people going on strike and protesting. There’s a lot of unfairness in society that we can’t do anything about, but I can put it on the canvas.

HK: What are some of the challenges of working in a relatively new medium like digital painting?

SF: Digital painting isn’t very common here in Hong Kong. I get a lot of weird questions, and there are still a lot of misconceptions. When I tell people that I’m a digital painter, they usually think that there’s some sort of magic setting on the computer where you can click and generate a new painting, but in fact I paint brushstroke by brushstroke. It’s not easy. I spend a tremendous amount of time on every piece.

HK: What are your thoughts on the arts scene in Hong Kong?

SF: I can tell that it’s slowly growing. There are more street artists and more kinds of art showing up; there are more magazines and different media that are talking about art. But I think our government should pay more attention to young artists, because most of us can’t even afford our own studio and they’re forcing people out of the factories… where do we go? The government is “doing something” to make people see that they are doing something, but it’s just for show. They aren’t doing good enough. They aren’t really paying attention; they don’t really want to promote local art and culture. They focus more on commercial stuff.

HK: Do you have any advice for other young local artists?

SF: Just don’t give up, keep working towards your goal and don’t be frustrated—even though the economic situation in Hong Kong is not good right now.