Sophie Helas-Kwo
Untitled 2006
New Talent profiles new works by Fine Art students at Sunderland University. Sophie Helas-Kwo’s image has been selected to coincide with the exhibition ‘Fragile Democracy’ which brings together artists from around the world. Helas-Kwo’s mother is originally from Taiwan, though she was raised in the UK. Accordingly, the country of her mother’ birth is strange to her, and she has been able to see it as an outsider. Here, her photograph of the character ‘Gizmo’ from the 1980s Hollywood film ‘Gremlins’ was taken at an industrial processing plant there – specifically a sugar factory – in Guang-Fu. The images capture two sides of a nation which is becoming an industrial giant: the “grittiness” of the country’s massive industrial sites, and the light-hearted, façade of advertising and commercial imagery often adapting Western sources which is prominent in city centres.
July 20, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Hi I am currently in the process of opening an upmarket delicatessen in the centre of Sunderland. We will be serving quality sandwiches and soups made from award winning ingredients as well as Italian coffees and cakes in an ambient atmosphere. I am currently looking for artists to use the wall space provided to be able to display their art if you know of anyone that may be interested in the opportunity please let me know. I will not charge or expect anything in return for this and the paintings will have a price and description of the artist displayed at all times.
Thanks.