The homegrown gallery's inauguration exhibition showcases the art of late modern British artist, Sir Terry Frost—his first solo exhibition in Asia as part of the new gallery space opening
With industries affected by the ongoing pandemic, many businesses have been forced to close down. But 3812 Gallery is making a bold statement by being one of the few to open up a new space.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the homegrown gallery opens a new 3,600 square-foot gallery space in Central, Hong Kong. It showcases the works of the late Sir Terry Frost RA for its inauguration exhibition, titled, Here Comes the Sun — The Art of Terry Frost, 1948–2003. Despite being a renowned British artist in modern and post-war British art, the exhibition marks Frost's first solo exhibition in Asia and will feature 20 oil on canvas collage paintings.
The exhibition's title is a nod to Frost's signature use of warn and shining colours, alluding to the "pearl of the east" with rich historical and cultural significance. His paintings took on the feel of the landscape around him as he explored the idea of natural forms as emblems of abstract forces, with the sun and moon as a common motif.
3812 Gallery was founded by Calvin Hui and Mark Peaker in Hong Kong in 2011, specialising in Chinese contemporary art that adheres to the gallery's curatorial vision of eastern origin and contemporary expression. To coincide with this, a new gallery space opened in 2018 in London, becoming the first and only Hong Kong-rooted gallery to open a space in Europe that year. The London outpost specialises in Chinese contemporary art and Hong Kong ink art.
See also: Artspace K: A New Hong Kong Art Gallery Dedicated To Works By Contemporary Artists
Talking to Tatler on what makes this new gallery different from other galleries in Hong Kong, Calvin Hui, co-founder of 3812 Gallery and curator of the exhibition, says their representation of British artists in Hong Kong sets them apart. "It is important for us to nurture a dialogue between artists in both regions, to create curatorial connections between them, whilst presenting them on an international stage," he says.
Hui is no stranger to the art world. He founded Ink Asia in 2015 and served as director of Fine Art Asia from 2011–2017 becoming one of the leading voices on the art market in Asia.
For the new gallery space, Hui aims to expand its footprint as a pioneering international gallery in Hong Kong which will introduce modern and post-war British art to Asia—one of the few to do so. Meanwhile, the London branch will continue to promote Chinese modern and contemporary art as well as contemporary ink art and Hong Kong ink art to British and European visitors.
"Hong Kong is our home and opening a new space in Central, Hong Kong spanning over 3,500 square feet in this year, especially with the backdrop of the current health crisis, demonstrates our commitment to and confidence in Hong Kong as the vibrant, main art market in Asia," he says.
See also: M+ Receives New Art Donation From Hong Kong Collector Hallam Chow