In Transition
Tuesday 22nd April 2025 – Saturday 26th April 2025 , 11:00am to 6:00pm
Public Opening Date (Private View): 24th April: 5 pm – 8 pm | Tour introducing the work: 6 pm.
The “In Transition” exhibition is a duo showcase at The Lounge featuring the works of Qinlin Yang and Arrow Lai Siu-Wai. This exhibition presents printmaking works created by both artists, each offering a unique perspective on their work.
Through their artwork, Qinlin Yang and Arrow Lai Siu-Wai explore the intricate emotions that arise from navigating cross-cultural experiences. Their pieces reflect an investigation into self-identity, examining how it is shaped and influenced by various social and cultural narratives.
The exhibition invites viewers to engage with themes of belonging, migration, and personal transformation, encouraging a dialogue about the diverse aspects of identity from the artists.
“To explore my self-identity and the city’s cultural narratives within the context of post-colonial Hong Kong and it’s rapidly changing society, I aim to use national fireworks as my theme and metaphor to explore the issue through the use of traditional printmaking concept and modern art technology for my project.
After 1997, Hong Kong experienced a significant transition from Western ideologies to a closer alignment with China’s development. In this post-colonial period, the blending of Chinese and Western cultures has led to a unique hybrid culture that promotes diversity and innovation. However, this colonial legacy has created an ambiguous identity for Hong Kong citizens, resulting in an identity crisis and ongoing conflict.
In my art project, I explore my complex feelings about cross-cultural identity and respond to post-colonialism through a series of archival images of National Day fireworks displays in Hong Kong from 1997. I create woodblock prints using these archival images and artificial intelligence generated images.
This project aims to re-present the public spectacle of fireworks, using vibrant imagery to engage in discussions about the relationship between colonialism and Hong Kong’s post-colonial development. Fireworks serve as a symbol to encourage dialogue about how rapidly changing society has influenced my identity, highlighting the tension between fleeting beauty and anticipated change.”
— Arrow Lai Siu-Wai
Qinlin Yang’s work involves the reconstruction of places and studying the social and political aspects of immigration communities. She typically uses metal plates on which she creates her background textures to produce her mezzotint prints. By capturing the dynamic movement of figures in the light, she conveys a sense of individual loneliness beneath the urban framework.
“This project began during my time studying in the UK. Through my artistic practice, I have been expressing the feelings of loneliness and alienation that I have experienced as an immigrant. After moving to London, these emotions only intensified. The city’s richness and fast-paced life made me feel even more disconnected—like a machine in constant operation, consuming the individuals within it. I often feel that my life is uncertain, and a sense of unease lingers over me. This has led me to reflect on the meaning of identity and belonging in my life.
My printmaking work primarily utilizes the mezzotint technique, which introduces a sense of blur and enhances the feeling of uncertainty in my images. Instead of purchasing pre-prepared metal plates, I choose to create my own backgrounds, as the directional lines I engrave allow me to convey the passage of time.
Through my printmaking, I hope to express an unspoken sense of oppression and visually articulate the psychological trauma brought by the immigrant experience. The process of creating these prints itself is well-suited to conveying this oppression — a feeling tinged with sorrow and isolation.”
—Qinlin Yang
More about Arrow Lai Siu-Wai
Arrow Lai Siu-Wai works primarily with found images and presents them in the forms of prints and installations. His art practice focuses on exploring self-identity within the context of post-colonial Hong Kong and how it has defined his identity as a Hong Konger. Within this topic, Lai has recently studied the issue of post-colonial and the concept of using various of printmaking materials for his project.
Arrow is a printmaker and art educator. He graduated with a BA and Postgraduate Diploma in Education in Visual Arts from Hong Kong Baptist University and MA in Print from the Royal College of Art, UK. His work has been exhibited internationally including After, at the ASC Gallery, the Handbag Factory, London (2024), A Curious Cloud, Soho Revue, London (2024), Global Design Graduate Show (2023), Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair (2023, 2024) and IMPACT 11 International Printmaking Conference (2021). He is currently teaching Printmaking in the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts of The Education University of Hong Kong since after his study in the UK.
More about Qinlin Yang
Qinlin Yang is a Chinese artist who lives and works in London, UK. Based on her background, she focuses on immigration mental states, compiling complex emotions. She studied Illustration and Book Artist at Anglia Ruskin University, where she was introduced to printmaking. After moving to London, she participated in several intensive courses at the Royal Drawing School, gradually shifting her artistic focus toward printmaking and drawing. In 2025, she completed a three-month printmaking residency at East London Printmakers Studio, further deepening her understanding of the medium.
About The Lounge
A project space and breakout room for the artist studios in Camden, The Lounge is a space to bring ideas and test out new work, inviting the public to visit the space. From exhibitions to coffee mornings, it’s a place dedicated to cultivating community.
The Lounge is facilitated and curated by Bethany Parkinson, on behalf of the artists.
Access information
If you have any questions regarding accessibility at this venue or event, would like to make us aware of any access requirements that you have in advance of visiting, please call 020 8980 7774 (Ext. 3) or email property@bowarts.com.
Cartmel House, Langdale House, and Coniston House have step-free access from street level, and each building has a small lift. Doors to the studios are narrow. An accessible toilet can be found inside The Lounge, at Cartmel House.
Transport Information
Nearest train station(s): Euston (Overground, National Rail, Northern, Victoria), Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metroplitan), Warren Street (Northern, Victoria), Mornington Crescent (Northern).
Bus: 24, 27, 29, 134, 88, 18, 30, 73, 205, 390
