The Throne 坐着為皇(#1-12)
Acrylic on Canvas
12''x12''
2018
Ada Chan
陳竹君
Born in Hong Kong, Chan obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in in Toronto, Canada. The excellence in her works lies in her consistent artistic level developed from her years of working in various art fields. Chan established an intense and psychological-themed style that carries a message. Her works are heavily influenced by art styles such as surrealism and disguised symbolism, which are often emulated in her visual vocabulary to capture her daily reflections on life, society and religion. Chan’s original acrylic & oil paintings are collected by corporations and private studios in Canada, China and Hong Kong.
陳竹君自幼成長於香港，留學加拿大多倫多並取得美術學士學位。憑著多年在不同藝術界別的豐富工作經驗，令她的作品特色更為鮮明。陳竹君藉由不同系列的作品，寓意多樣的主題，營造多種藝術氛圍，尤其是傳遞來自內心深處且極富衝擊力的信息。深受超現實主義及隱藏主義的影響，陳竹君將生活。社會及宗教的反思深藏在其藝術視覺詞匯裡。
Composed of twelve canvases, The Throne entails an important message derived from a list of iconic biblical figures and objects. Each iconography bears significance and value to the artist’s Christian belief. In the centre situates a red, empty, velvet chair with gold decorations, a classical resonance with royalty, glory and superiority. The emptiness questions the entity who is yet to occupy the chair; Whether it is a physical individual, or an ambiguous concept, such as the future, career or fortune. Nevertheless, Chan invites viewers to reflect upon the entity that is taking glory of your life. It addresses the priorities in your current state of life.
Radiating outwards, the canvases surrounding the centre comprise of twelve blessings from the Bible. Each depiction of a blessing associates with a symbolic biblical object. A stairway corresponds with the way to God (As noted in Ge 28:11-13; Jn 1:51). Meanwhile, thunder represents a symbol of God's voice (Ps 29;3; Ps 68:33). The Pillar of cloud and fire is a symbol of His guidance (Ex 13:21), while the throne implies God’s glory (Isa 6:1; Rev 22:3). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit takes form in different ways, as He conforms in the shape of wind, fire and of the dove (Jn 3:8). Lamp-stand is a typical representation of God’s ministers, stated in Rev 1:20. As for a rock, it symbolises stability, while lily is allegorical for human frailty, addressed in Ps 90:5-6. Quintessential in Christianity, horses are exclusive application to warlike operations. As for a lamb, a ubiquitous representation of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice (Rev 5:6).
Despite the order of presentation, Chan welcome viewers to insert their perspective to determine the meaning and composition of the canvases. She eschews the conventions and perception of classical paintings. Rather, The Throne encourages a lively discussion on the concept of glory, significance and value that controls our lives.
坐着為皇以十二幅作品組成，畫家希望藉一系列經典的聖經人物及物品意象，向觀者傳遞心中的信念；而作為基督徒，此系列對她而言意義重大。作品中央擺放一張鮮紅色絲絨質地鑲刻金邊的座椅，其顏色配搭令人聯想到王族的榮耀與高尚。而這張長期趁空的座椅，不禁令人反思誰才有此價值來填補這個空座。究竟是隱喻一個真實的人物，或是一個含糊的概念，譬如工作或錢財？畫家希望帶動觀眾思考，希望觀者能窺視出自己潛意識中最重視的人或物。
從中央的作品擴展到周邊，可看到十二樣在聖經名為有福分的圖像畫作，而每幅畫作與聖經的象徵意義息息相關。就如創世紀28章11到13節所記載，樓梯是比喻為通向上帝的道路；同時，雷電代表著神的聲音（詩篇29章3節）；白雲和火焰般的樑柱象徵著神的帶領（出埃及記13章21節）；而寶座便暗喻神的榮耀（以賽亞書6章1節）。此外，聖靈是通過不同的方式向我們顯現，例如為風，火，或鴿子（約3章8節）。燈臺在聖經裡是常為視為神的服侍器皿（啟示錄1章20節）；而石頭借喻磐石，象征堅定不移；然百合花則反映著人類的脆弱。亦有其它幾個較為經典圖像，譬如馬匹代表了戰鬥時的重要工具，而羔羊擁有著普及的意思 - 代表耶穌基督為人類的犧牲。總括而言，陳竹君的作品看似有特意的編排，但並非刻意為之，她希望邀請觀者通過投放自己的感受去欣賞此作品。撇除昔日一貫對畫作的傳統思想，畫家希望透過皇座 來展開對榮耀和價值觀的深層討論，以及圍繞我們生命的人和事。