Nude photo exhibition in HK revives debate on artistic expression

By Channel NewsAsia's Hong Kong Steven Jiang | Posted: 19 August 2006 2240 hrs


HONG KONG : An unusual exhibition in Hong Kong has highlighted a long running debate over the boundaries for artistic expression.

The photo exhibition is so controversial that even discreet admirers peeping in from the streets run for cover when they see a news team.

Life-sized pictures of ordinary men and women in their birthday suits are an extraordinary sight in Hong Kong, even in the art world.

Roy Lee, who snapped all the photographs, has vivid memories of a woman who heard him discussing his exhibition with friends.

"All of sudden, she slapped me on my face, saying 'you're filthy'," recalled photographer Roy Lee.

But that is exactly the mindset that Roy and his amateur models want to change.

"Nudity in Hong Kong is always associated with pornography. But to the Europeans, nudity is something beautiful and natural," said Lee.

The photographer named his show "The Square" to highlight the government's requirement that the models' private parts be blurred.

Without the pixilation, Roy feared that he may be slapped again - with a fine of more than US$50,000.

And money, said the photographer, was why the city's tabloid media seemed to freely print licentious pictures everyday.

He said they don't mind paying the fines as they can sell more copies and recover the sum.

But most independent artists do not have such a luxury.

Roy's models echoed his frustration.

TV producer May Yu said she had been nervous as it was her first time posing in the nude.

But the rare experience, she said, had made her more comfortable with her body.

And she now questions the need to modify the photos.

"The square culture is so ironic. You can still pretty much see everything, so what's the point," challenged May.

A fellow model said the point of this exhibition was to nurture greater appreciation for fine arts in Hong Kong society, starting with the young.

"You have to build in the concept in the students' mind from an early stage. Eventually they may understand the difference between nudity and pornography, and also understand what art tries to express," said musician Kung Chi-Shing.

Until then, artists like Roy Lee and the censorship authorities will continue to square off over artistic freedom.

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