Hong Kong Children “Love Dutch” in Wooden Shoes Workshop

Aug. 24, 2013 - PRLog -- Traditional Dutch wooden shoes, known as “clogs” or “klompen” provided an unusual medium for a group of 40 children from the Society for Community Organization (SoCO) to explore their creativity in a painting workshop at MTR Hong Kong Station today (24 August 2013), under the expert guidance of German artist Edith Brooks-Maron (“Ebs”).
 
Flying in from Germany specifically for this project, Ebs led the children to each paint individual-mini wooden shoes and then joined with them together to paint a large 25-cm shoe that will be displayed as part of an “art in mtr – roving art” exhibition opening at MTR Sheung Wan Station on 30 August 2013.

Entitled “Love Dutch Art by Ebs - Roots & Routes, the Wandering Shoe”, the exhibition features over 30 colourfully hand painted and decorated klompen. The featured themes are diverse, ranging from art shoes dedicated to Hong Kong and the Netherlands, to shoes dedicated to love, to cows, to Christmas and more. The artist makes use of a wide variety of materials in her work and the shoes are given their glossy and shiny appearance through the application of multiple layers of lacquer.

Ebs explains that her inspiration to turn plain objects into extraordinary pieces comes from Dutch culture. “The klompen symbolise the roots of people in the Netherlands. Just as every persons’ life is unique, so are these shoes. They are little reminders to respect our roots and cherish them. After all, this is who we are and where we are coming from. I am excited to share a bit of Dutch culture with the wonderful people of Hong Kong.” she said.

To be showing her artwork in Hong Kong holds special meaning for Ebs as she was actually living here at the time she was working hard to finish her collection. “I always used to pass MTR art exhibitions and admire the artists’ work. I think what MTR does for local artists is absolutely amazing and I was always hoping to be part of the MTR art family one day.”

“MTR is an integral part of the life of our city. Through our art programmes, we have a great opportunity to make the journeys of the millions of people who pass through our stations every day more interesting and pleasurable,” said Mr Jay Walder, Chief Executive Officer of MTR Corporation.

”We are delighted to share the talents of creative artists like Ebs with the community not only through in-station exhibitions but also workshops that encourage our younger generation to express themselves and deepen their practical experience of art,” he added.

The “Love Dutch Art by Ebs” roving art exhibition will be on display at MTR Sheung Wan Station until 7 October. It will then be shown at MTR Tiu Keng Leng Station from 10 October to 4 November 2013.

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