Q&A | Bouie Choi blends nostalgia and nature at Art Basel Hong Kong
Choi’s intricate paintings on reclaimed wood are inspired by folk legends and scenes of Hong Kong as well as the artist’s childhood memories
“I can’t decide what to do with this now,” Choi says, referring to a large wooden panel upon which she has etched the image of a bird. “It’s a black-faced spoonbill, a migratory bird that’s found in Hong Kong and a few other places. It was inspired by a childhood memory – in primary school I once dressed up as a bird for a school play, and it was actually televised on a local channel.”
Choi’s studio is homely, soothing and earthy, reflecting the sentiments and aesthetics her works evoke. Plants, crystals, rocks and the warming tones of wood permeate the space, while her sketches and artworks hang on the wall.
A particularly pleasing view greets Choi as she sits at her desk: one of her signature hexagonal paintings alongside four wooden slabs that increase incrementally in height hanging above a wooden bench made from an old Kowloon church pew. In a sectioned-off room nearby, various tools and materials – sand paper, buckets and sprays – are scattered on the floor where the artist performs her heavier duty tasks.