Art has long been used as a way to explore the complexities of human identity. Similarly, Hong Kong television actor Karl Ting Tze-long is embarking on a journey of self- discovery with “Who Are You?”, a collection of his paintings currently on show at 13A New Street Art Gallery in Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island. Ting, 27, was the first runner-up in the 2016 Mr Hong Kong contest and his talent for acting has found a home at Hong Kong television station TVB, where his roles in 2022 dramas Freedom Memories and Get On A Flat won him much acclaim – and 106,000 Instagram followers.
It has not all been smooth sailing – being a celebrity means that he has to juggle being a son, a brother and a lover in his personal life while facing criticism for his public personae. He had previously come under fire for excessive use of beauty filters on a TVB reality show. “I got hundreds and thousands of comments – 90 per cent were negative,” Ting says.
“They hurt a little at first but I bounce back really fast because I know who I am and what I want to do. If you believe in yourself then no one can judge you.” Painting has been a cathartic way to deal with the negativity, he says.
It seems appropriate to be having a conversation about internet trolls while sitting in front of Ting’s piece Needle , which shows two tongues pressed together with a needle wedged between them. The painting, he says, illustrates how words, when misused, can be sharp and piercing – even dangerous.