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Xie Xiaoze: The Archaeology of Knowledge
25 Jan – 19 Apr, 2025
Alisan Atelier
SOUTHERN
Chen Wei: Breath of Silence
18 Feb – 12 Apr, 2025
Blindspot Gallery
CENTRAL
Inverso Mundus: City of Chimeras
20 Feb – 20 Mar, 2025
Tang Contemporary Art (Central)
SOUTHERN
Multiple Unrealities: Alessandro Giannì Solo Exhibition
22 Feb – 19 Mar, 2025
Tang Contemporary Art (Wong Chuk Hang)
SOUTHERN
Playful Scramble in Dragon’s Lair - Hayaki Nishigaki Solo Exhibition
22 Feb – 17 May, 2025
wamono art
CENTRAL
Through Time—Print Art in Aberdeen Street
22 Feb – 31 Aug, 2025
Print Art Contemporary
KOWLOON CITY
From Dust to Light
26 Feb – 13 Apr, 2025
Videotage
SOUTHERN
The Trivial Sublime
6 Mar – 5 Apr, 2025
SC Gallery
SAI WAN (WESTERN)
PUT ON
7 Mar – 7 Apr, 2025
HART HAUS
KWUN TONG
Paste and Keep Text Only
8 Mar – 5 Apr, 2025
WURE AREA
CENTRAL
Wu Guanzhen:Echoes of Shadow Exhibition
14 Mar – 26 Apr, 2025
Art of Nature Contemporary (Central)
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Ayobola Kekere-Ekun: Blooming Shields
17 Mar – 16 Apr, 2025
Pearl Lam Galleries Hong Kong
CENTRAL
TSANG Kin-Wah: T REE O GO D EVIL
19 Mar – 24 May, 2025
gdm (Galerie du Monde)
WAN CHAI
Three Stories: Monsters, Opium, Time
20 Mar – 13 May, 2025
Kiang Malingue
SHEUNG WAN
The Korean Narrative: Layers of Korean Aesthetics
20 Mar – 17 May, 2025
Soluna Fine Art
SHEUNG WAN
Secret Garden - Byoungho Kim Solo Exhibition
20 Mar – 20 May, 2025
Leo Gallery
CENTRAL
Souvenirs, Novelties, Party Tricks
21 Mar – 26 Apr, 2025
JPS Gallery
WAN CHAI
Collect Hong Kong 2025
22 Mar – 4 Apr, 2025
Hong Kong Arts Centre
SHEUNG WAN
Hong Kong Poetry
22 Mar – 27 Apr, 2025
Blue Lotus Gallery
SOUTHERN
Embodied Perspectives
22 Mar – 3 May, 2025
WKM Gallery
SOUTHERN
GONGKAN: ASYNCHRONOUS AFFINITIES
22 Mar – 14 May, 2025
Tang Contemporary Art (Wong Chuk Hang)
SOUTHERN
Soul Light Legacy Plan
22 Mar – 17 May, 2025
DE SARTHE
CENTRAL
Capsule Filling
24 Mar – 13 Apr, 2025
Capsule
SOUTHERN
Sin Wai Kin: The Time of Our Lives
24 Mar – 10 May, 2025
Blindspot Gallery
CENTRAL
NIAO NIAO: A Solo Exhibition by Su Xiaobai
24 Mar – 15 May, 2025
Pearl Lam Galleries Hong Kong
CENTRAL
Beneath the Golden Canopy
24 Mar – 16 May, 2025
MASSIMODECARLO
CENTRAL
Beauty Will Save the World: Eight Artists from Southeast Asia
24 Mar – 16 May, 2025
10 Chancery Lane Gallery
CENTRAL
Tradition Transformed
24 Mar – 14 Jun, 2025
Alisan Fine Arts
CENTRAL
Sarah Sze
25 Mar – 3 May, 2025
Gagosian
CENTRAL
Louise Bourgeois. Soft Landscape
25 Mar – 10 May, 2025
Hauser & Wirth
YAU TSIM MONG
Vapors
25 Mar – 17 May, 2025
PERROTIN
ADMIRALTY
Objects of Play: Hoo Mojong Centennial Retrospective
26 Mar – 6 Jul, 2025
Asia Society Hong Kong Center
Peter Howson: Luxuria
16 Jan – 15 Mar, 2025
Flowers Gallery

Peter Howson, Luxuria, 2018, Oil on canvas, 182.5 x 244 cm

Peter Howson
17 January – 15 March, 2025
Private View: 16 January, 6-8pm

49 Tung Street, Sheung Wan
www.flowersgallery.com
hongkong@flowersgallery.com

Flowers Gallery Hong Kong is pleased to present an exhibition of works by renowned Scottish painter Peter Howson.

Considered one of his generation’s leading figurative painters, Peter Howson was a focal member of a group of young artists to emerge from the Glasgow School of Art in the 1980s, known as the ‘New Glasgow Boys.’ Howson is renowned for his penetrating insight into the human condition, and his heroic portrayals of the mighty and meek. His art is described by Robert Heller as "founded in humanity, especially the human face."

Following Howson’s critically-acclaimed 2023 retrospective When the Apple Ripens: Peter Howson at 65 at Edinburgh City Art Centre, Flowers Gallery Hong Kong will exhibit two major paintings, Luxuria (2018) and The Banner of Saint George (2015) on which the theme of the show is based, alongside a series of drawings on paper from 2023 - 2024.

Luxuria (2018) visualises a densely populated world in decline, depicting figures engaged in a struggle for survival. Howson constructs a compelling narrative that delves into themes of conflict, destruction, human suffering, and redemption. Often drawing on Latin phrases for the titles of his artworks and exhibitions, Luxuria translates to a state characterised by excess and extravagance.

Through the interplay of the title and the painting's imagery, Howson critiques the repercussions of a life driven solely by desire and passion, ultimately portraying a self-indulgent society in decline. This painting was a highlight of Howson’s 2018 solo exhibition Acta Est Fabula at Flowers Gallery, which marked the 25th anniversary of his first visit to Bosnia in 1993, where he served as Britain’s official war artist documenting the Bosnian War. This period significantly influenced Howson's artistic practice, as it coincided with the growing prominence of right-wing politics in the United Kingdom.

The apocalyptic element in Luxuria (2018) was influenced by the experiences surrounding Brexit and the resultant surge in populism following the referendum. Drawing inspiration from the politically and socially charged works of German artists Otto Dix (1891-1969) and Max Beckmann (1884-1950), Howson offers a poignant portrayal of the far-right threat, serving as a cautionary reflection for humanity.

The Banner of St. George (2015) illustrates a tumultuous scene characterised by chaotic interactions, symbolising the disintegration of social order into violent struggles for dominance.This unsettling portrayal of a dystopian future emerges from a global crisis.The title alludes to St. George, the patron saint of England and Georgia, who is revered as one of the fourteen auxiliary saints. He has come to represent the culture, values, beliefs, and identity of the English people. St. George, an early Christian martyr, epitomised martial valor and selflessness during the Middle Ages. His significance as a religious emblem has been prominent throughout English history, particularly established during the Tudor period, owing to his popularity during the Crusades and the HundredYears' War.The English flag, which features a red cross on a white background, derives from St. George's emblem and is prominently displayed above the tumult in the composition.

In 2015, Peter Howson's work examined the political and social challenges leading up to the UK General Election.This period was marked by large-scale and intense compositions filled with chaotic arrangements of figures that convey a sense of barbarism. The depiction of disorder, violence, and the collapse of societal norms was a reflection of the growing influence and popularity of radical political movements worldwide.

The portrayal of the distorted figures pays homage to Dutch masters Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Brueghel the Elder.The composition is replete with themes of violence, suffering, and confusion as the figures strive to navigate an unfamiliar and fear-laden world.

Artist Biography

Peter Howson is one of the UK's leading contemporary figurative painters. Born in London in 1958, at age four he moved with his family to Ayrshire. He studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1975-1977, returning in 1979 to complete a master's degree. He lives and works in Glasgow.

Emerging from Glasgow School of Art in the 1980s, Howson quickly proved his skill of capturing the maverick, the excessive, the non-conformist, and his own personal understanding of the struggles of everyday life, with an ability to engage with individuals on the peripheries of society. He was a focal member of the group of young artists to emerge from the Glasgow School of Art during the 1980s dubbed the 'New Glasgow Boys'. In 1985, he was made the Artist in Residence at the University of St Andrews whilst working as a part-time tutor at Glasgow School of Art.

In 1992 he was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to record the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Howson was appointed official British war artist for Bosnia in 1993, where he witnessed the harrowing realities of war, culminating in a solo exhibition at the IWM London in 1994.

Howson is the recipient of numerous awards, includingThe Henry Moore Foundation Prize in 1998 and the Lord Provost's medal, Glasgow, in 1995. In 1996 he was made Doctor of Letters, Honoras Causa, by the University of Strathclyde. He was awarded an OBE in 2009. In 2011 Howson completed a dramatic rendering of the martyrdom of St John Ogilvie for the renovated St Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow. The two-year process of working on the commission was the subject of a BBC documentary.

Howson has exhibited throughout the UK and internationally, and in 2023 had a major retrospective at the Edinburgh City Art Centre. His works are represented in public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate, London; the Imperial War Museum, London; British Museum, London; National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh; Edinburgh City Art Centre; Glasgow Museums; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and National Gallery of Norway, Oslo.

Flowers Gallery

Address: 49 Tung Street, Sheung Wan

Opening Hours: Tue–Sat 12pm–6pm

Phone: +852 2576 5088

Website: flowersgallery.com