Lau Man Pan

“Home is Not a Country” by Lau Man-pan @manpanstudio Home is Not a Country is painted with mixed media on canvas which is mounted on a household tabletop. The artist, Lau Man-pan, prefers to display the work by resting it on the floor and leaning it against the wall, instead of hanging it up. This way, the work becomes a painted object, a signage board rather than a painting. Through Home is Not a Country, Lau intends to connect consumer culture with local identity and displacement. He says: “The artwork features a large rectangular canvas divided horizontally into two distinct colour fields. The upper half is painted vibrant yellow, while the lower half is deep red. The colour scheme reminds us of the shop signboard of Hong Kong’s local grocery store, Prizemart. In the centre, the phrase ‘HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY’ is prominently displayed in capital letters, borrowed from the title of Safia Elhillo’s novel that was published in 2021. I created the work for an artist residency project in Antwerp, Belgium. During the residency, I explored and sought to understand the factors that construct and maintain ethnic identity. The work reinterprets ‘home’ in the context of the Hong Kong diaspora, questioning our understanding of home. It aims to evoke a melancholy nostalgia. The work also aims to investigate cultural labels and characteristics related to my home in the centre of Antwerp. Some of these labels are attributed by others, but more are self-selected for various reasons. This selection process reflects an individual’s recognition of their own identity, intertwined with economic relationships and historical customs. Labels can be iconic cultural symbols, such as tile-roof shapes, or simple elements like fonts or colour combinations used in signage. I further appropriated these labels in my work, integrating them with my memories of Hong Kong and personal messages of belonging.” (Content originally published on Hongkonger.world)

Another work presents a series of trees in the vaulted chamber with stone scattering across the terracotta floor. I enjoy the chapel-like architecture, which created a quiet dialogue between picture and object, colour and weight, imagery and materiality. It is a meditative space that evokes memories of displacement and a longing for rootedness. I want the stones to become an extension of painting and to reveal a hidden violence or burden. @kuenstlerstadt_gmuend

My painting approaches the tree as more than a natural form — it becomes an emotional explosion, a vivid embodiment of memory. The fiery red and orange foliage suggests a moment that burned brightly, charged with joy, intensity, or pain. These saturated colours insist on presence; they don't fade, they confront. “What once stood still now burns in color. I return, again and again, to the place where I first forgot myself.” It proposes that the softest memories are often buried within the most overwhelming ones. The dotted sky and layered blues and greens suggest how memory rearranges place and time. Colours work like a trigger — evoking a temperature, a smell, a feeling that can't quite be named, but never leaves. Baum im Eselpark, 2025 Art residency project @kuenstlerstadt_gmuend

This series of acrylic paintings was made during my residency in Gmünd, Austria, where I spent time observing and painting local trees. I sometimes feel a quiet connection to trees — the way they stand still, witnessing time and memory. While working on this project, I came across the poetry of Ilse Tielsch, Memories with Trees, and her words stayed with me. She wrote about leaving her home as a child, and something in her experience felt deeply familiar to me. "I walk with trees side by side nestled together My feet in lianas crunching through the morning dew" Searching for a sense of permanency. Finding the roots. Rediscovering the freedom and pleasure of painting... This project became a quiet, personal way of thinking about art, diasporic identity, and what it means to take root somewhere new. @kuenstlerstadt_gmuend

【☁️Featured Artwork by Lau Man Pan☁️】 Fabricating Permanency Lau Man Pan 2024 Paper clay, pigment, inkjet print, tracing paper, aluminium frame, size variable Want to know more about the inspirations behind this work and how Man Pan creates the artwork? Check out the special recipe from the artist and dive into the story in the insightful conversation with @sibylle_feucht @das_esszimmer in our previous post✨💫 Photo by Lau Man Pan, Man Wai Se and Jessie Tam Design by Jessie Tam Courtesy of the artist and Struggling Art Space 【I Don’t Know How to Love You Teach Me to Love】 31 May - 29 Jun 2024 📍DAS ESSZIMMER – Raum für Kunst+ @das_esszimmer Curated by Struggling Art Space @s_trugglingartspace Artist Talk: 29 June 2024 (Saturday), 5pm During the whole exhibition: Guided tours with the present artists, pop-up Struggling Art Corner Opening hours: 3:00pm-6:30pm (Thursday and Friday)| 1pm-5pm (Saturday) and by appointment Supported by Freude Joy Joie Bonn, Stiftung Kunst der Sparkasse in Bonn, and Hong Kong Arts Development Council. #IDontKnowHowToLoveYouTeachMetoLove #artwork #contemporaryart #contemporary #paper #remembrance #installation #email #art #artist #artwork #Bonn #culture #visualart #dasesszimmer #artgallery #artspace #materiality #relationalaesthetics #exhibition #bonn #artinspiration #artandmusic #dasesszimmer #strugglingartspace

【🎤 Interview with Man Pan by Sibylle Feucht 🎤】 Here is a conversation between Lau Man Pan and Sibylle. In their discussion, Lau Man Pan reflects on his journey from studying painting in Hong Kong and the Netherlands to exploring themes of color and the significance of the color red in his work, which symbolizes everything from personal experiences with eczema to political connotations. Lau Man Pan also shares the intriguing process behind his piece, involving emails transformed into framed artworks, exploring the idea of constructing permanency in different countries. This conversation touches on the notion of exile and the desire to recreate roots, resonating deeply with current realities. Stay tuned as we explore more artist interviews in this series. For this interview, Lau Man Pan has chosen “La chanson de Maxence” by Pomplamoose. Photo: Man Wai Se and Lau Man Pan Design: Jessie Tam 【I Don’t Know How to Love You Teach Me to Love】31 May - 29 Jun 2024 📍DAS ESSZIMMER – Raum für Kunst+ @das_esszimmer Curated by Struggling Art Space @s_trugglingartspace Online Artist Talk: Saturday, June 29, 2024, 5pm During the whole exhibition: Guided tours with the present artists, pop-up Struggling Art Corner Opening hours: Thursday and Friday 3:00pm-6:30pm | Saturday 1pm-5pm and by appointment ✨ Supported by Freude Joy Joie Bonn, Stiftung Kunst der Sparkasse in Bonn, and Hong Kong Arts Development Council. #Laumanpan #IDontKnowHowToLoveYouTeachMetoLove #artwork #contemporaryart #contemporary #paper #email #painting #reddot #art #artist #artwork #Bonn #culture #visualart #dasesszimmer #artgallery #artspace #materiality #relationalaesthetics #post #exhibition #bonn #fabricatingpermanency #letter #artinspiration #artandmusic #dasesszimmer #strugglingartspace

【♥️Recipe by Lau Man Pan♥️How to Fabricate Permanency】 Reflecting on colors, AI insights, medicinal musings, and the whimsical sounds of Japanese onomatopoeia, Man Pani’s recipe unfolds as a quest for permanency despite life’s transient moments being away from home. Much like navigating a palette of vibrant red across global landscapes, his work resonates with depth and introspection. As part of “I Don’t Know How to Love You Teach Me to Love,” Lau Man Pani embraces the tradition of Struggling Art Space, where each recipe becomes a narrative thread connecting art to introspective expression, with ingredients stirring contemplation on what endures beyond the ephemeral and a conversation of meaning. Join us from May 31 to June 29, 2024, at DAS ESSZIMMER – Raum für Kunst+ for Man Pani’s unique perspective and don’t miss the Online Artist Talk on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at 5pm, closing of our exhibition. 【I Don’t Know How to Love You Teach Me to Love】 31 May - 29 Jun 2024 📍DAS ESSZIMMER – Raum für Kunst+ @das_esszimmer Curated by Struggling Art Space @s_trugglingartspace Online Artist Talk: Saturday, June 29, 2024, 5pm Opening hours: Thursday and Friday 3:00pm-6:30pm | Saturday 1pm-5pm and by appointment ✨ Supported by Freude Joy Joie Bonn, Stiftung Kunst der Sparkasse in Bonn, and Hong Kong Arts Development Council. #Laumanpan #IDontKnowHowToLoveYouTeachMetoLove #artwork #contemporaryart #contemporary #email #painting #reddot #art #artist #artwork #Bonn #culture #visualart #dasesszimmer #artgallery #artspace #materiality #relationalaesthetics #post #exhibition #bonn #fabricatingpermanency #letter #artinspiration #dasesszimmer #strugglingartspace

An old ongoing project "People of Different Races Looks Alike in Blue" was shown in my last exhibition in Pictura Groningen. The project started when I had just arrived Europe and the blue paintings present portraits of the strangers I found from News. Lately, I added 4 more pieces to the series. #equality #artexhibition #friendsandstrangers #identity #perception #bluedoteffect #artandculture" @pictura_groningen

In my last exhibition, i am trying to express my anxiety about the uncertainty of the future.

@pictura_groningen

In the exhibition "Fabricating Permanence," I present my project "Washing a Belief II." The performative work has been rearranged, showcasing still images instead of video this time. In this piece, a performer washes away the stain from another performer's clothes, creating a dialogue between two individuals. The use of blue as a symbolic color in my works can be further contextualized, providing room for spiritual and various interpretations. Washing a Belief II, 2024 inkjet print, canvas, watercolour @pictura_groningen @jananavu #WashingABeliefII #FabricatingPermanence #ArtisticDialogue #Symbolism #Spirituality

A huge thank you to Pictura and Gert Jan for graciously hosting my work in this stunning space. To everyone who attended the opening and visited the exhibition, your presence and support mean a lot to me. The exhibition "Fabricating Permanence" is open from 17 Mar to 21 April. Curated by: @jananavu @pictura_groningen #exhibition #kunst #art #installation #painting #hangnail