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Celia Ko - Moments of seduction, observation, objectification
The images "Boy Landscape III (4’ x 6’)" and "Night Walk III (12” x 10”)" are both originally from oil on linen/canvas, two paintings selected from Celia Ko’s solo exhibition "objets d’amour".
Hong Kong based writer Vikki Weston wrote about Celia Ko's work: “Moments of seduction, observation, objectification … To create a work of art is to create an object; to portray those around us is to objectify them. Can we objectify those we love? What is it to portray a beautiful boy, a woman, a thing? Is the resulting objectification the same? What kind of seduction is implied or created? A moment of love, indulgence, tenderness … or pure detached voyeurism? …Celia Ko’s current exhibition “objets d’amour”… capturing the essence of people and moments in close-up and from a distance, Ko observes, magnifies and objectifies. The intense scrutiny of the large close-ups (4 ft x 6 ft) counterposes the suggested detail of the smaller canvases (smallest approx. 3 in x 5 in), to create a collection of observations simultaneously passionate, tender and cool.
Celia Ko graduated from California State University of Long Beach, USA, with a Fine Art degree in drawing and painting. After participating in a number of group exhibitions and several mural projects in Los Angeles and Long Beach, Ko held her solo painting exhibitions “Paradise” (1995), “Detours”(1997), “The Essence” (2000) in Hong Kong, “Lost in the Woods” (2001) at Vermont, USA and “objets d’amour” at Hong Kong (2006). She received the Vermont Studio Fellowship (Freeman Foundation, USA) as one of the two Selected Artist from Hong Kong of the year 2000-01.
