Q&AHow this artist transforms historical Chinese symbolism into paintings
New York-based Dominique Fung speaks about her creative journey, Empress Dowager Cixi, and why she wants audiences to leave her show feeling expansive
Impulse purchases can cause regret, but for Dominique Fung, that’s far from the case. An accidental click of the mouse at an online Sotheby’s sale led the artist to acquire a Qing dynasty silk embroidered carpet that now serves as an integral component of her most recent exhibition, “Beneath the Golden Canopy”, at Hong Kong’s Massimo de Carlo gallery.
Initial panic at her purchase eventually transformed into satisfaction. “I just bought a Qing dynasty carpet. How insane is that?” says Fung, recalling the shock she felt when the auction house declared hers the winning bid. “I’ve never bought anything at auction, but I remember seeing it and I think it was meant to be.”
While invoking Cixi’s past, the artist revisits her own history. Of Shanghainese and Hong Kong heritage, Fung was raised in Canada and is based in New York. Her evocative paintings are filled with symbolism from Chinese history and folklore as she reinvents narratives of figures once fetishised in the West. Her work highlights overlooked themes and characters, particularly female ones.