Ngai Wing Lam, born in 1986, Hong Kong. Ngai Wing Lam graduated from the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University. Ngai Wing-Lam, also known as Ant, is a Hong Kong-based artist celebrated for her surreal and introspective paintings. Ngai’s work prominently features koi fish-headed characters, inspired by her dreams and childhood experiences with pet fish. These hybrids symbolize her exploration of themes such as relationships, identity, and ambiguity. The speechless faces of the koi fish characters conceal inner emotions, reflecting the complexities of human connections and the fear of being different. Set against Hong Kong’s urban landscapes, her paintings capture the tension between reality and fantasy, inviting viewers to engage with narratives of alienation and individuality. Through this unique style, Ngai Wing-Lam offers a fantastical yet poignant exploration of personal and societal themes.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

I was born in Hong Kong, an only child and grew up in a typical Hong Kong family. I am a quiet person. When I was a kid, I loved painting, crafts, and science fiction stories. I graduated from the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University in 2008. At the time, I had no idea where my career was going, but I knew I had to stick to art. After a summer exchange program in France, I found a job as a studio artist (a colourist specialist) at Madame Tussauds, responsible for the maintenance of wax figures, and I have been doing this job ever since. At the same time, I shared a studio with artists and continued to explore my artistic path, and “Fish Man” was born. My artistic journey began.

What inspired the recurring motif of fish-headed characters in your paintings?

When I studied Visual Arts at Baptist University, dreams were my main subject of study. I believe dreams represent our perception and subconscious mind, they are all about the inner mind. I always remember the details of my dreams, and usually they have a storyline like a movie. So I studied movies and automatic poetry to learn how to tell stories. I kept the two koi fish for eight years. They were my soul mates. Fish mouths open and close but I never understand. After they died, I dreamed about them very often. I looked for them in my dreams, I found them in irregularly shaped fish tanks, opening and closing their mouths as if telling me something important. One day, I painted them with realistic brushstrokes to release the love of the two koi (“The Dream Teller”). Since then, I have never seen them in my dreams again. 

Then I started to use their faces as Fish Man and Fish Woman. The two koi fish-headed characters can be anyone, any gender. They are my actors. My stories later are more than talking about perception and subconscious mind. The speechless faces of the koi fish characters conceal inner emotions, reflecting the complexities of human connections and the fear of being different. Set against Hong Kong’s urban landscapes, my paintings capture the tension between reality and fantasy, inviting viewers to engage with narratives of alienation and individuality.

How has your artistic style evolved over time?

My painting style is influenced mostly by Western paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries such as surrealism, romanticism, religious arts. I am also attracted to the filmic narrative form of montage and is inspired by a wide range of films from around the world. In recent years I mostly work with oil applied directly onto wooden panels cut or framed into different shapes, and displayed in the form of storyboards divided by specially designed wooden frames. Using the wooden frames as dividers for storyboards, the works establish narrative perspectives, then posits two landscapes against each other. They are always in diptych. This device is inspired by mediaeval religious paintings, where the frame is a part of the pictorial content, which is filled with hidden symbols and allegories. Painting on surfaces of specific shapes and forms, I tried to create a sort of narrative sequence and overview; at the same time, frames of different shapes also serve a decorative function, forming a connection with domestic spatial settings. 

What do you hope people take away from your art when they experience it?

In my art world, the two koi fish-headed characters can be anyone, any gender. So I hope people arouse their emotions from their own experience through my works. It always comes out with new angles, something totally different from what I think. My work is always an open ended question. I hope people smile, become better, or get some answers.

What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have you overcome them?

I think the most basic challenge is the same as many local artists, which is how to make a living. In order to create good quality works and other stable sources of income besides art, I have to sacrifice sleep time. Therefore, time management is very important to me, as is the balance between work and art creation, family and friends. Because everything around me is the best inspiration for me.

What advice would you give to emerging artists trying to establish themselves?

I would love to say : Be yourself, persist and do what you  love.

Text & photo courtesy of Ngai Wing Lam

Website: http://www.ngai-winglam.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngaiwinglam/