Frog King Recent Works 2015

RECENT WORKS

Also featuring photographs by Margaux Helleu

RECENT WORKS

Also featuring photographs by Margaux Helleu

A VIBRANT LIFE PUBLICATION

FOREWORD

by Katie De Tilly

It is a rare occasion to find truly incredible and extraordinary people. They surprise us, wake us, and make us feel uncomfortable even. But within those rare moments, somehow they help us to peer inside those parts of our own selves that are also extraordinary. Somehow we forgot to pay attention to our own exceptional selves as life’s burdens and obligations took over. Yet, that innocent and zealous, youthful and naïve person we once were is not far under the sheath that hides it. It is this that the formidable and inimitable Frog King Kwok makes us realize. Now in his late sixties, Frog King has been a force on this earth bringing a philosophy so simple and so incredibly important to us through his art. The core of which is to create from our own free spirit and to have a hell of a good time doing it. However simplistic this might sound, if we venture to look deep into ourselves and the paths that we chose to pursue in life, did we choose the path that delves into our most creative selves, a path that includes the absolute joy we have doing it?

Frog King was born in China and came to Hong Kong as a boy. He showed promise as a teenager who got into lots of trouble. Already proclaiming his unique identity, which blossomed over the years. The 68-year-old walks with a limp as he takes me to his studio in the cattle depot.

Today, he is not dressed in his full Frog King regalia but still he takes care of his style and clothing choice. His round-framed glasses and white hat shape perfectly his brilliant smile that he dons with a giggle and sparkle in his eye. A mischief half glance is shot my way. A cameraman’s vest upon him has an organized array of utensils that might be needed at any moment fill the many pockets. He reaches right and pulls out a small spiral-topped notepad, left a pen, on top a camera, chewing gum anyone? The cattle depot, a renovated slaughterhouse turned art complex is a lonely relic that is indeed worth preserving. But like Frog King, no one pays it much attention.

The brick buildings line themselves up with a prison austerity. The red brick color lends it warmth.

Frog King’s studio looks like a collaged dollhouse. The exterior is adorned with his artworks, half planned, half spontaneous moments yet full of intrigue.

Frog King puts on his shaman costume and enters the room. Everyone gazes at him. Today we are with a group of bankers that are surprised to see him. They smirk, yet they are curious. Frog King is the greatest equalizer. He has been making his signature Frog King sunglasses since the late 1970s and he proclaims that when people put on his glasses they all become equal.

Suddenly the bankers are eager to put on the glasses. Finally, they are invited to break free from their conformity. Frog King busts open a suitcase full of paraphernalia of wigs and necklaces and crazy clothing and he invites the audiences to put on the gear. He then hands them fluorescent colored A4 sized paper. He tells them, “you spend your life with this A4 paper and now I want you to take it and throw it in the air and scream.” The screams are deafening. The permission to scream embraced to its fullest. The priest has spoken. The release is audible, sensorial, liberating.

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This is indeed the public face of Frog King, the one that lure people out into a realm that is not their norm. Yet there are indeed many sides to Frog King. He was trained by master calligraphy painters and then finally with Lui Shou Kwan in the 1970s. Lui Shou Kwan recognized something very special in him and he as well, recognized something special in his master who told him that he had a fire within him that he needed to pursue. That this fire was so strong that he could burn the world with it. So that was the day the Frog Prince became a King and he then moved to New York in the 1990s. He spent fifteen years in New York, where he had his own experimental gallery and befriended the artists of the time including Keith Haring.

However, what people don’t know, is that Frog King was the one who supported, fed and took care of the now famed Taiwanese performance artist Tehching Hsieh whose radical performance art left him imprisoned or homeless each for a year’s time. His friendship and dedication to his fellow artist is admirable and when knowing him not surprising. Whether Frog King is with a young student such as the young photographer Margaux Helleu, now studying at SCAD or the assistant that M+ museum sent his way to help his show. It is quite evident that he is there to help them rather than they to assist him. He is so incredibly organized, insomnia plans and organizes his projects, he cannot spend a day without creating. He is deeply committed to his ambition towards “Hark Bun Lum,” which literally translates “guests coming” however Frog King uses this expression to mean “spontaneous moments of experimental creative happenings” that are shared. All are invited with the only obligation: to feel good and free and most importantly happy.

Happiness is simple if you let it be. Laughter is not a burden, it is natural. I must reiterate that it is rare to meet truly extraordinary people in life. I hope that you all can be as lucky as me and engage with the astonishing Frog King Kwok!

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Frog Fun Life Painting 1, 2015 19.3 x 14.3 cm, ink on paper 3

Frog Fun Life Painting 2, 2015 19 .5 x 14.3 cm, ink on paper 4

Frog Fun Life Painting 3, 2015 14.2 x 19.6 cm, ink on paper 5

Frog Fun Life Painting 4, 2015 14.3 x 19.5 cm, ink on paper 6

Frog Fun Life Painting 5, 2015 14.2 x 20 cm, ink on paper 7

Frog Fun Life Painting 6, 2015 19.5 x 14.3 cm, ink on paper 8

Frog Fun Life Painting 7, 2015 19.5 x 14.3 cm, ink on paper 9

Frog Fun Life Painting 8, 2015 19.5 x 14.3 cm, ink on paper 10

Frog Fun Life Painting 9, 2015 19.3 x 13.6 cm, ink on paper 11

Frog Fun Life Painting 10, 2015 14.1 x 19.5 cm, ink on paper 12

Frog Fun Life Painting 11, 2015 14.3 x 19.6 cm, ink on paper 13

Frog Fun Life Painting 12, 2015 14.1 x 19.5 cm, ink on paper 14

Frog Fun Life Painting 13, 2015 19.5 x 14.2 cm, ink on paper 15

Frog Fun Life Painting 14, 2015 19 x 14 cm, ink on paper 16

Frog Fun Life Painting 15, 2015 19.3 x 13.9 cm, ink on paper 17

Frog Fun Life Painting 16, 2015 19 x 13.5 cm, ink on paper 18

Frog Fun Life Painting 17, 2015 14.3 x 19.5 cm, ink on paper 19

Frog Fun Life Painting 18, 2015 19.4 x 14.2 cm, ink on paper 20

Frog Fun Life Painting 19, 2015 17.7 X 14.3 cm, ink on paper

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Frog Fun Life Painting 20, 2015 19.7 x 13.6 cm, ink on paper 22

Frog Couple, 1985 19.6 x 25.4 cm, Ink on paper 23

Dance, 1985 20.2 x 11.2 cm, Ink on paper 24

Frogscape A FIRE INK, 2015 102 x 102 cm, Mixed media on canvas 25

Frogscape B, 2015 102 x 102 cm, Mixed media on canvas 26

Frog Action, 2015 120 x 71 cm, Mixed media on canvas 27

Frog Kindness, 2015 120 x 71 cm, Mixed media on canvas 28

Forward, 2014 156 x 87 cm, Ink on paper 29

Moonlight, 2014 156 x 86 cm, Ink on paper 30

Leap Frog, 2014 156 x 85 cm, Ink on paper 31

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(front)

Love and Happiness, 2015 33.5 x 34 cm, Mixed media on two panel screen

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(front)

Love Pay Phone 2015 H 186 x W 114 cm, Mixed media on screen

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(front)

Love Live Fun B, 2015 H 186 x W 114 cm, Mixed media on screen

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(front)

Rainy Night, 2015 H 186 x W 114 cm, Mixed media on screen

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(front)

Totem Frog King, 2015 H 186 x W 114 cm, Mixed media on screen

(back) 37

(front)

(back)

Frog King Bras, 2013 H 157 x W 64.5 cm x 8 panels, Mixed media on screen 38

Love Received, 2015 29.6 x 20.5 cm, Ink on paper 39

Wishful, 2015 29.7 x 20.5 cm, Ink on paper 40

Morning Frog, 2015 28 x 25.5 cm, Ink on paper 41

Menu Graffiti, 2015 33.5 x 34 cm, ink on paper 42

Ink is Frog, 2015 34 x 34 cm, ink on paper 43

Frog Foliage, 2015 34 x 34 cm, ink on paper 44

Frog Communication, 2015 35 x 33.5 cm, ink on paper 45

Frog Monument, 2015 36.5 x 37.5 cm, ink on paper 46

Frogscape back to the nature, 2014 30 x 30 cm, Mixed media on canvas 47

Double Happiness Couple, 2015 32.5 x 35 cm, ink on paper

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Love Live Fun, 2015 33.5 x 34 cm, ink on paper 49

Mountain Frog, 2015 34.5 x 34 cm, ink on paper 50

Frog Flowers, 2015 34 x 33.5 cm, ink on paper 51

Frog Mother and Children, 2015 34.5 x 34.5 cm, ink on paper 52

Love Nature, 2015 49.5 x 56.5 cm, Ink on paper 53

Frog Festival, 2015 53 x 58 cm, ink on paper 54

Sailing Frog, 2015 54 x 58.5 cm, ink on paper 55

Frog Harmony, 2015 52 x 59vv cm, Ink on paper 56

Mountain Village, 2015 53.5 x 58 cm, ink on paper 57

Frog Kite, 2015 53.5 x 58 cm, ink on paper 58

Photographs by Margaux Helleu

Frog King in Studio 1, 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 61

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Frog King in Studio 2, 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 63

Frog King in Studio 3, 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 64

Frog King in Studio 4, 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 65

Frog King in Studio 5 , 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 66

Frog King in Studio 6 , 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm; (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 67

Frog King in Studio 7 , 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 68

Frog King in Studio 8, 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 69

Frog King in Studio 9, 2015 (S) 17.5 x 39.5 cm (L) 38.5 x 56.5 cm (S) Edition of 16; (L) Edition of 10 70

ALL WORKS OF ART COPYRIGHT © FROG KING KWOK ESSAY COPYRIGHT © KATIE DE TILLY A VIBRANT LIFE PUBLICATION / 10 Chancery Lane Gallery Designed by Frankie Leong Tsoi Chi This catalogue is published on the occasion of Frog King’s solo exhibition Frog King Recent Works 2015 at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong from December 1, 2015 - January 30, 2016.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 978-988-16893-0-6 Printed in Hong Kong, 2016

G/F, 10 Chancery Lane, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2810 0065 | Email: info@10chancerylanegallery.com | www.10chancerylanegallery.com

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