Once a traditional Chinese painter, the Hong Kong artist has since carved out a career pondering the traces that time leaves behind. Edmund Lee visits her Chai Wan studio ahead of her solo show, Intimacy.

You’ve been working on this series on the traces of time since 2005. What was your original inspiration?
My work has long been reflecting on [the notions of] time and life, but this series specifically originated from a diary-like series, Under-layers, that I started in 2005. For that, I’ve done several hundred pieces of [ink on paper] drawings on any daily thought that came to my mind. When I chose my materials, I decided that good quality papers – which can be easily preserved – were not what I wanted. I felt that people change every day. And life is fragile. We do not live in eternity, but in a rather uncertain state. So I ended up picking a newsprint paper that’s commonly used in daily life. I began to think about ways to capture time on paper. Actually I can tell you a story…

Please do.
I’ve also alluded to this story in the catalogue. It is about my teacher, the painter Jerry Kwan. [Hesitates] I was quite close to him, and I had his studio key. There was a time, in 2008, when people couldn’t find him, and they turned to me… And when I arrived at his studio, I found that he’d already passed away. My work had already been very much about time, life and human existence before that, and [his death] dealt me another heavy blow. I still dream of him. We have no control over our lives; only the present moment is real. This made me look back at – and appreciate – people and things in my life, all over again.

What is the creative process for your work like?
Usually, I trace the shadow [of objects] with a pencil, cut out a stencil, then expose the paper [under the stencil] to sunlight. It takes about ten days if it’s placed outdoors, but then it’ll still take a longer time for the colours to deepen.

Can you tell us more about the newsprint paper you chose?
I’ve come to the conclusion that it is only when a work is finished that its life begins – because the work keeps evolving every day. If you see [my work] again in six months, the colours are completely different. They deepen, and their contrast increases a lot. People would ask me how I keep my works, and I’d tell them that I don’t. The fundamental concept behind my work is to let it evolve. Then they’d say, “Isn’t it very risky for me to buy your work? It may vanish totally!” [Laughs] But that’s not true, either: the colour contrast will only increase, and not decrease. As long as you don’t put it directly under the sun, [the colours] will stay.

Is this technique inspired by photography?
As an art critic has commented, the biggest difference between photography and my method is that no chemical is involved in mine. It turns yellow with time, as if it’s a “time painting”.

Do you create all these works at this studio?
I used to come to the studio very often. But since this set of work requires a very large space and a lot of sunlight, I moved some of my work home and did it on my rooftop. You can see that I have very dark skin now. [Laughs] I am part of my work.

Intimacy is at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery from Sep 9 to 30.