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. Other works have a more sentimental feel.
In Pinky Promise , Ting reflects on the innocence of the childhood gesture made when two people hook their little fingers together and make a promise to each other. In The Summer I Turned 17, Ting reflects on his carefree teenage years in Toronto – his family moved to Canada from Hong Kong when he was 14 – skating, hanging out at the beach and working in an ice-cream shop. “I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted, running around on the beach, eating ice cream and taking pictures,” he recalls.
Still, he has no regrets about moving back to Hong Kong in 2016 to pursue a career in entertainment. “I’m goal-oriented,” he says, a trait reflected in The Last , which shows a person bending down to pick up a flower. It is a reminder to not lose sight of the wonders around us, even while pursuing other objectives.
“I also don’t want to have regrets ...
I don’t want to tell my grandkids that [their] grandpa had a chance of doing something.” Strong support from his parents made it easier for Ting to pursue his celebrity dream. “My parents gave me a lot of love and freedom, which was great because I was at a good university with a bright future and then suddenly I told them ‘I’m not going to study any more, I’m gonna work as a celebrity’.
” His gamble, thankfully, paid off. “In the process of raising their kids, they can become too protective, keeping their children under their wing even as they mature,” he says. “While this nurturing environment allows children to grow, it also limits their self-discovery and development.
” He illustrates this in Teddy and The Chair , which depicts a soft toy under a chair – is it being protected or is it trapped? Love, however, is the loudest message the exhibition sends, and Ting best expresses it in a series of three paintings where honey is used as a metaphor for love. “Sticky and sweet, honey is a good representation of love but [how] it could also slip away. It is a reminder not to take it for granted,” the actor says.
“Who Are You?”, 13A New Street Art Gallery, G/F, 13a New Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 9192 7013. 12-7pm (closed on Mondays, Tuesday). Ends August 31.
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