Exhibition Online: 「以書為家」x 另類版畫: 國際藏票特展 The Art of Prints x Especially for Books: Special Exhibition on International Ex Libris

The Art of Prints x Especially for Books

Special Exhibition on International Ex-libris

Hidden Treasures Inside Books

Hong Kong Baptist University Library

Academy of Visual Arts (AVA), Hong Kong Baptist University|

2017-04-16

Hong Kong Baptist University Library and Academy of Visual Arts (AVA) of the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) co-organise a special exhibition on ex-libris (Latin) or bookplates (English).

A bookplate is a slip of paper bearing the name of the book's owner inside a book. In this digital age, the change of reading habit by reading online or using electronic means made ebooks exploded in popularity. Not only printed books but hand-printed bookplates are disappearing as well, especially in Hong Kong. Nowadays, this little known art form became ever more luxurious, unique and rare hidden treasures inside books. Bookplates originated from Europe in the 15th century, they appeared in China not until the Republican period. They are the perfect example demonstrating the adoption of western culture in the Chinese context and traditions as well.

The exhibition will begin from April 20 to May 31, 2017, presenting about fifty bookplates recently made by artists from 18 countries, including Europe, Taiwan and Hong Kong. This rare category of mini prints will be displayed alongside with some of their woodcut and copperplate print originals, which are extraordinary, and bookplates presented inside books as well as both scholarly books and technical manuals on bookplates will also be shown.

To provide public a complete picture of bookplates for their appreciation, in addition to the skills and technical complexity involved, the exhibition selects as wide a variety of artistic styles and countries as possible. It also illustrates some common printmaking techniques and lists the common technical symbols for this special kind of mini prints, and features bookplates with content ranging from Medieval illuminations to traditional Chinese villages.

This exhibition hopes to make these valuable and international bookplates known to as many people as possible. It also aims to stimulate more people to discover this endangered literary culture, keep it alive in Hong Kong and   push it to the next level. A series of events promoting these treasures related to literary paraphernalia are organized, including the lectures and guided tours. A special booklet of highlight exhibits and bookplate articles has also been published for this exhibition.

 

*All exhibition-related activities will be held inside Au Shue Hung Memorial Library, Hong Kong Baptist University, Renfrew Road, Kowloon Tong, unless specified otherwise.

 

 

Media preview and interview session*

Upon request by appointment

Date: April 19, 2017 (Wednesday)

Time: 16:00 – 17:00

Venue: 3/F Au Shue Hung Library, Hong Kong Baptist University, Renfrew Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

Media enquiries

Dr. Sarah NG, curator of the exhibition and research assistant professor of Academy of Visual Art, HKBU

Tel: (852) 6122 9938, Email: sarahng@hkbu.edu.hk

 

Public lectures*

Date: April 20, 2017 (Thursday)

(1) Alternative Prints: To Begin with Bookplates in Taiwan

Date: April 20, 2017 (Thursday)

Time: 12:00

(2) Art Without Borders: Visual Representations of Culture and Tradition in Modern Taiwan
Time: 19:00

Venue: Multipurpose room, L2
Language: Putonghua
Free admission. First-come, first-served. No registration required.

Opening ceremony*

Date: April 20, 2017 (Thursday)

Time: 14:30

Officiating guests and hosts

Mr. Kendall Crilly, University Librarian, HKBU

Prof. John Aiken, Director of AVA, HKBU

Mr. Edward Wong, Collector

Dr. Yu-an Ni (Wang Wu), Artist

Ms. Malou Hung, Artist

Dr. Sarah Ng, Exhibition curator and research assistant professor, AVA

(Refreshments will be served)

 

Curator-led guided tour*

Date: April 20, 2017 (Thursday)

Time: 14:15 or after the ceremony

Language: Cantonese

No registration required.

 

Details of the exhibition*

Period: April 20, 2017 (Thursday) to July 8, 2017 (Saturday)

Regular opening hours (till 31 May 2017)	Summer Service hours (1 June – 31 August 2017)
08:30 – 23:00 (Weekdays) 09:00 – 21:00 (Saturdays) 13:00 – 19:00 (Sundays) Closed (University and Public Holidays)	09:00 – 21:00 (Weekdays) 09:00 – 19:00 (Saturdays) Closed (Sundays) Closed (Public holidays)

Tel: (852) 3411 2750

Email: libexh@hkbu.edu.hk

Admission: Free

Website: http://hkbu.libguides.com/exhibitions/exlibris

Eternal Relationship: My Love for and with Books A brief history of ex-libris in Hong Kong   Dr. Sarah Ng Research Assistant Professor Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University

In an era which witnesses the decline of print media, books and bookstores, it is believed that ex-libris has become even more unknown and unheard of. Since people in the past cherished books with great affection and tenderness, ex-libris, just like identity cards of books, was designed to serve as a mark of ownership. Nowadays, ex-libris is not merely a fine manner of literati who label their names on books for the practical identification purpose. Similar to philately, ex-libris is also an object of collection for hoarders and a field of study that reflects the culture and historical conditions of a specific time and space.

 

Perhaps out of cultural differences, the habit of collecting books shows a regional disparity. While in China, seals were used as a mark; in Europe, ex-libris which was designed first and then directly pasted on books was a preferable practice. With the invention and widespread use of printing, books were widely popularized and ex-libris began to come into sight. The earliest known example was thought to date from the 15th century. At that time, aristocrats produced one of the first ex-libris illustrated with an angel when presenting books to monasteries as gifts. Later when Europeans landed on Asia, ex-libris was spread to Japan and China afterward.

 

The dimensions of ex-libris vary, depending on the size of books. Generally, an illustrated ex-libris with texts takes the form of 3 x 5 inches, produced from woodcut printing, lithography, etching or color process printing. Not only does it bear the name of the owner, it also features aphorisms and mottos that express insights of and appreciation to reading and book collecting.  Most likely because the art of prints has been highly valued by the Japanese, ex-libris caught their attention and appeared in Japan as early as in the 18th century. While in China, it only became popular during the Republican period.

 

As for Hong Kong, only until 1980s, when the local renowned collector and painter Yu Yuanhong founded the Hong Kong Ex-libris Association with other print-makers who were also interested in collecting ex-libris, such hobby of literati artists was introduced and promoted to the public. During an interview, Yu says, “no one knew what ex-libris was back then in Hong Kong. Neither did I. When I presented my exhibition of prints in Japan, a member from the Nippon Ex-libris Association saw my works and asked if I could make ex-libris. I even asked him what an ex-libris was. Soon after, he introduced me to the director of the Nippon Ex-libris Association and I founded the Hong Kong Ex-libris Association with some painter friends after heading back to Hong Kong.”

 

In 1990s, Yu and eight (or nine) friends made ten ex-libris each and organized the first Hong Kong Ex-libris Association Exhibition at the Commercial Press in Central with a catalogue published. In the same year, they also co-organized the International Ex-libris Exhibition at the University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong. The association even became a member of the International Federation of Societies of Ex-libris Collectors with representatives participating in the biennial International Ex-libris Congress in different cities and awarded “Gold Award.” 

 

In its early years, the Hong Kong Ex-libris Association had only around a dozen of members all of which were artists who made ex-libris. It might seem to be a minority and elitist, but the quality of their ex-libris production was high and widely recognized in Asia and in the world. Examples include Yu’s wife Hung Mei Yee Clara and her sister Hung Oi Yee Malou, both of who are artists from Hong Kong. Specialized in etching, Malou Hung was awarded prizes including Mention Award in the 1st International Competition, Serbia in 2009 with "Olympic Equestrian Event in Hong Kong"; Medals of Honour at the 23rd International Biennial Exhibition of Modern Exlibris, Malbork, Poland with "The Lady" and "A Child's First Birthday"; and Medal in the 14th International Biennial of Small Graphics Forms and Exlibris, Ostrơw Wielkopolski, Poland with "Farewell My Concubine!" In 2010, she was also awarded Gold Prize in Japan and is the first Chinese awardee of this prize.

 

Collectors from Hong Kong also had a high degree of exchange with those from Taiwan and subsequently brought the European knowledge of ex-libris to Taiwan. For instance, Hong Kong scholar Dong Qiao who graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature of Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University had conducted research on ex-libris during his sojourn in Britain and published articles on the subject of ex-libris and related arts in Taiwan in 1980s. His articles explained the historical development of western ex-libris and the appreciation of ex-libris and aphorism and artistic value, supplementing a Western perspective to the art of ex-libris in Taiwan which had been influenced by a Japanese system.

 

Hong Kong has exerted an impact on the development of modern ex-libris art in Taiwan. Apart from Dong’s call for ex-libris exhibitions in Taipei, Taiwanese water printing expert Pan Yuan-shih was influenced by Hong Kong print-maker Mui Chong Ki as well. Pan discovered the ex-libris made by Mainland Chinese artists in Mui’s studio and was informed about the presence of ex-libris research institutions and exhibitions in Mainland China. In August 1980, Pan organized the first National Ex-libris Joint Exhibition and invited Mui, the then executive director of Ex-libris Research Institute in China, to participate and demonstrate the production of ex-libris to the visitors.

 

With the opening of the Hong Kong Central Library in the 21st century, the Hong Kong Ex-libris Association took part to co-organize the International Ex-libris Exhibition. The exhibition invited 92 Ex-libris artists from 25 countries and regions with around 200 exhibits proposed.

 

With the absence of related exhibitions for more than a decade, an ex-libris exhibition with collateral events finally take place in Hong Kong again. After the public lecture organized by Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Ex-libris Association in mid-March this year, Sotheby’s also presented a collection of ex-libris by Dong Qiao in its auction in April. Furthermore, Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University and Hong Kong Baptist University Library will now co-organize the first International Ex-Libris Exhibition, in the hope of bringing again this disappearing field of arts to the public and contributing to the continuity of this traditional art which saw the exchange between the East and the West. The great historical significance and the non-material artistic values presented by such art are what make the high art featured in art fairs, though extravagant, incomparable. Ex-libris is a high manner of literati, at once popular and notable. Very often, owners of ex-libris do not sell for money but trade for others' ex-libris as a commemoration of friendship. Ex-libris does not exist only for the sake of residing in a book but also acts as a vehicle to express affection and connect the like-minded. Collectors and artists need to appreciate each other before exchanging what they treasure. This transcends the relationship between men and artworks or books and thus becomes a bridge of interpersonal communication. 

 

The exhibition titled “The Art of Prints x Especially for Books Special Exhibition on International Ex-libris” will be held in Hong Kong Baptist University Library from April 20 through the end of May and open to the public. During the exhibition period, there will be talks related to ex-libris which invite the world-renowned ex-libris artist Malou Oi Yee Hung and the celebrated Taiwanese young artist Ni Yu-An to present their recent works, as a means to promote the art of ex-libris to the public. What’s more, the Hong Kong Ex-libris Association will also explain what ex-libris is and introduce how the association promotes the advancement of ex-libris in Hong Kong. Details can be found in the exhibition website.