Competition:
7th National College Student Art Exhibition and Performance
Organiser:
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the People's Government of Hubei Province
Works, Students/Graduates and Programme:
“SILHOUETTE” — Aarika Kan Sin-tung, Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Creative Advertising and Media Design
“The Shining Girl (閃光少女)” — Huang Xuanni, Master of Arts in Creative Writing
“The White Hair Boy” — Lai Kwan-chak, Shamus Yu and Law Ho-yin, Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Animation and Visual Effects
Awards:
First Class Award in Photography — “SILHOUETTE”
Second Class Award in Drawing — “The Shining Girl (閃光少女)”
Second Class Award in Micro Film — “The White Hair Boy”
Details:
Held every three years, the National College Student Art Exhibition and Performance is the highest-standard, largest-scale and most influential art event in China's educational system. This year, the 7th National College Student Art Exhibition and Performance was hosted by the Ministry of Education along with the People's Government of Hubei Province and held in Xiangyang, Hubei Province between 12 and 18 June. The event attracted the participation of over 7,400 teachers and students from 31 provinces, regions or cities. Under the theme “Fostering Patriotism and Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset”, it not only showcased artistic masterpieces created by university students in various regions but also featured art performances and a display of cases on moral and aesthetic education in schools.
HKMU Creative Arts students and graduates took part in the event and earned multiple awards in recognition of their creative talents. Aarika Kan Sin-tung won a First Class Award in Photography with her photographic work “SILHOUETTE”, while Huang Xuanni received a Second Class Award in Drawing with her comic strip “The Shining Girl (閃光少女)”. Graduates Lai Kwan-chak, Shamus Yu and Law Ho-yin's animation “The White Hair Boy” came away with a Second Class Award in Micro Film.
The photographic work “SILHOUETTE” captures a vintage hair salon located in an alley, presenting it as an affectionate oasis where people can find a sense of belonging and warmth.
In a sequence of six frames, the comic strip “The Shining Girl (閃光少女)” depicts the psychological changes of a girl who is ashamed of herself due to being mocked for her chubbiness. She once tries to gain recognition by changing her image, but it only makes her more anxious. It is only after entering university when she gradually understands that she does not need to distort herself because of others’ perceptions, and she can shine for being herself.
The animation “The White Hair Boy” is a fantasy story about a boy with albinism. At first, he is afraid of sunshine and anxious about others’ perceptions of him. But after being drawn into a fantasy world and fighting against a monster with his favourite character, he is able to face up to the disease squarely.
Apart from the students' accolades, the Tin Ka Ping Centre of Chinese Culture (TKPCCC) under the School of Arts and Social Sciences submitted a proposal on Arts, Innovation and Chinese Culture Education to the 7th National College Student Art Exhibition and Performance and won the First Class Award in the Innovative Proposals on Reform of Moral and Aesthetic Education by Colleges category. HKMU is the only university in Hong Kong to receive the award. In fact, the TKPCCC has won the award for two times in a row, proving HKMU's profound capabilities in the field of creative arts and its commitment to the cultivation of outstanding creative arts talent.
