CONCEPTUAL THE MASTER

Hong Kong conceptual artist Mak2’ s work addresses everything from shifting socio-political environments to new technology. She tells Helen Dalley about changing her name, doing stand-up, and creating her first sitcom.

Ifind inspiration by experimenting with different creative media and pathways. My previous works can be considered part of the contemporary art discipline, but this year, I’m coming out with a sitcom, Hong Kong’s Next Top Artist , a web series that’ll be released mid-February.

In 2018, a feng shui master advised me to add a “2” to my name, and I attribute my success to the narrative that he and I created. When people have an idea and want it to be persuasive, they use the endorsement of a ‘higher power’ to make it more convincing.

Two years ago, I started doing stand-up comedy. I’m serious about humour because it’s a very hard thing to do well and has a certain structure that needs to be learnt as if you were studying for an academic subject.

I have an upcoming exhibition in Berlin at Peres Projects this March. The work I’ll be showing will be a new sub-series of works within my Home Sweet Home series and revolves around ideas of censorship, romanticism and fantasy.

My main wish is that I can sustain myself as an artist. I don’t give myself a specific ideology to avoid trapping myself, and my ambition is to always stay creative. makyingtung.com