Mercedes Ng
Mercedes Ng: recollection
March 16-April 28, 2023
Salt Lake Community College
South City Campus, Edna Runswick Taylor Foyer
Recollection is a series of paintings that explore my identity as a “Hong Konger” and a commentary on the unsettling situation of my home. Commonplace locations in Hong Kong, such as restaurants and street markets, stand as symbols to politically sensitive events that have happened over the years. Imagining people under such political instabilities, many of them are forced to censor themselves and cloak their true beliefs. Eventually, someone as modest as a fruit seller may need to seek cover behind a painted mask or see themselves disappear entirely.
My memory of my home is the only thing I can hold on to with life's uncertainties. By recollecting these bits and pieces of my past, I gain a sense of control and am able to move on into the unknown.
Mercedes Ng is an oil painter who lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah. A native "Hong Konger," her vibrant and cheerful paintings pay special tribute to her homeland. From bustling malls to jam-packed street markets, Hong Kong is known for its many crowds. Her paintings often involve cityscapes and still lifes, which are intentionally lacking in population. By portraying her home in this manner, her objective is to create superficially playful stories tinted with a sense of forsaken uncanniness.