Ellen Chan tells her story and those behind her works.

There is a quality to wine bottles that evokes impressions of the finer things in life. They may become treasured mementos of the best of times - a night out at a fancy restaurant, pleasant companionship, intimate conversations such as one shares with old friends, or evenings in quiet seclusion with a special someone. Wine bottles are silent witnesses to those precious moments, infusing the spirit of the occasion into their empty recesses, thus to possess personality and character more vital and enduring than that of merely empty vessels.

Local artist Eileen Chan sets out to capture that elusive spirit in Bottlemania, an exhibition showcasing her bottle art. From memories of a childhood game with her late grandmother to slices of urban life, the artist shares her many reflections and feelings.

"The idea of using wine bottles as a medium hit me a few years ago, as I took them home after dinners with friends," Chan recounted. "It struck me as a perfect way to preserve the occasions, and to channel my feelings to the viewer."

Gleams of affection

The collection on show at Bottlemania features Chan's ink paintings, mixed-media works and bottle art installations. Most popular among spectators is the series of 23 bottle artworks that recreate anecdotes of the artist's life.

The painted images take on a variety of forms. A meeting with a singer friend is depicted in the recreation of Van Gogh's chairs, while the artist's impression of the 2008 Beijing Olympics manifests through collage of newspaper clips.

For the artist the strokes on the bottles represent Time's passage. "I used to write in a notebook when I was growing up," she said. "Now I narrate my life on these bottles. They're also records of my creative process."

Chan's sensibility also speaks in the installation piece entitled Deja vu. The 333 green bottles form an imaginary forest and river. The work intends to provoke distinctive reactions among individual viewers.

"Everyone has different perception of the same scenery, especially when they see it in retrospect," Chan explained. "It's inspired by my love for impressionist paintings, and I wanted to instill the elements in my 3-dimensional work."

The artist's hard work has met with reward. Chan met some of her public at the bottle painting workshops during the show's opening weekends, and received positive feedback from both local art lovers and visitors from afar.

The warm reception may well stem from Chan's personality and development as an artist. A former marketing professional, Chan made her journey into art rather late in life, when she married and became pregnant.

"That's the moment when I took a break from work and thought about what else I wanted to pursue in life," Chan said. "I'd always been interested in art. Twelve years ago, a year after my son was born, I took up studies in painting with a renowned teacher."

Chan began with ink paintings and moved on to other mediums. Wine bottles became part of the evolution over the last few years. Chan said her subjects tend to be positive, since she is an optimistic person and likes to deliver messages of that order to others.

An example is her series of paintings of pregnant women, which Chan conceived in 2007. During the Year of the Golden Pig, many women in Hong Kong, including a friend of Chan's, were expecting babies.

The mixed ink and acrylic paintings show impressions of a fetus developing in its mother's womb, and the body of a pregnant woman at her natural ease. The promise of life dances on the canvass, where a young boy plays basketball.

Future promises

One of Chan's more intricate creations.

The positive vibes in Chan's works are carried into her works in progress. One piece anticipates her participation in the Florence Biennial in December 2009, where she will show her bottle art to art lovers and critics from all over the world.

"It'll be a high point in my career," Chan concurred. "From my original conception and my recent shows and auctions, to the Florence Biennial, my bottle art has come a long way and it's definitely maturing."

Another proof of Chan's accomplishment will come at a year-end auction of her bottle art, which she considers a stamp of recognition from the art world. Chan is also in talks with a local hotel about a large-scale bottle art exhibition later this year.

While success seems to favor her at present, Chan said she has always worked on her craft and prepared for the opportunities to come her way. Dedication and self-discipline are both key to the artist's practice.

"I have a fixed schedule of working on my art and dealing with related matters. At this age, I've found a good balance in life and managed to stay productive," Chan contended. "I slacked a bit more when I was younger."

Beyond accomplishments, Chan believed that bottle art connects her with her public. As each bottle carries a distinctive history and character, bottle art is a natural and immediate mode of storytelling.

"You tend to see a coherent image or a series of portraits on canvas. When it comes to bottles, it can be a random icon or image of a person. The subjects can be very subtle and diverse, and there are many possibilities to the compositions."

"Another advantage of bottle art is that the viewers can potentially hold the artwork in their hands. The experience can be a surprise in itself," Chan elaborated. "The label on the wine bottle is a unique mark of its identity."

While Chan is constantly expanding her repertoire, she also hopes to develop her bottle art further and establish herself as an artist recognized in the medium in the near future. "It's a bit of a rarity in Hong Kong," she said.

The Bottlemania Arts Exhibition runs from May 23 to June 28 at Stanley Artsmart.

More details are available at http://bottlemania.eileenchan.com/

Deja vu. Nicole Wong

(HK Edition 06/06/2009 page7)