HONG KONG.- INK NOW, the world’s first online/offline multifaceted ink art platform, announces the first edition of INK NOW Art Expo to be held from 19 – 21 January 2019 (VIP Preview on 18 January) in Expo Dome, Taipei Expo Park, with American Express as Lead Partner, Regent Taipei as Hotel Partner, BMW as VIP Limousine Partner, and William Grant & Sons as Special Sponsor.

Advocating Eastern culture and aesthetics, INK NOW is built to respond to the growing demand on ink art in the international market, and it aims to promote Eastern arts and culture to a wider audience. The first edition of INK NOW Taipei Art Expo invites leading galleries across Asia to participate, such as Hanart TZ Gallery and Yewn from Hong Kong, SHIBUNKAKU from Japan, Amy Li Gallery from Beijing and Yi Art Museum from Shanghai, mainland China, and Art WeMe Contemporary Art Gallery from Malaysia, while having a strong representation of local Taiwanese galleries, namely Chini Gallery, Da Xiang Art Space, Loftyart Gallery, and Yesart Gallery, etc.

Combining professional curatorial approach and ink-inspired architectural design, INK NOW Taipei Art Expo is proud to present 30 booths and exhibitions in Taipei Expo Park, featuring a diversity of ink art and ink-related culture in various forms and genres – paintings, sculptures, installations, photography, jewellery, tea culture, ceramics, and artificial intelligence; and with a series of curated exhibitions, the Art Expo will bring forth extraordinary artworks and shed light on the future development of ink art.

INK NOW Founder and Chairman Calvin Hui said, “Both the Western contemporary art scene and the Chinese mainstream ink circle have entered a new age. INK NOW, an international, multifaceted and multifunctional platform established to address the rapidly changing digital era signifies a milestone of developing ink art and establishing Eastern aesthetics in the international market.”

Reviewing the overall curatorial planning of the Art Expo and individual exhibition proposals from the participants, our organising committee has conducted rounds of discussions with the participating galleries to select a wide range of unique ink work of different periods, styles and of various medium by artists such as Wu Guanzhong, Chao Chung-Hsiang, Yu Chengyao, and Liu Yun (in INK NOW Masters curated exhibition), Yūichi Inoue (SHIBUNKAKU, Japan), Hsu Yung-Chin (Yesart Gallery, Taiwan), Lee Kuang-Yu (Chini Gallery, Taiwan), Zheng Lu (Parkview Green Art, Taiwan), Cyril Delettre and Nicholas Lefeuvre (La Galerie Paris 1839, Hong Kong), and Victor Wong with his new creation A.I. GEMINI, the world’s only artificial intelligence ink artist (3812 Gallery, London/Hong Kong).

“Ink itself is a multifaceted medium. Artists today try to incorporate the latest concepts based upon their current experiences and innovative techniques into ink art creation, which manifests its diversity, spontaneity, uniqueness and differences. INK NOW also acknowledges the significance of academic discussion for a sustainable market development, we will invite specialists to attend academic program during the Art Expo (19 - 21 January), hoping to provide a valuable reference and new possibility of how Eastern art and aesthetic could be presented and comprehended,” Calvin Hui continued.

“We are delighted to see Hong Kong cultural entrepreneur Calvin Hui bringing his passion about ink art and also commitment to its promotion to Taiwan. Ink art is a precious cultural legacy shared by the Chinese people; it is a huge responsibility indeed, but I strongly believe that, under the leadership of Calvin, the inaugural INK NOW Art Expo will be a big success, passing on the idiosyncratic culture in the Greater China region as well as overseas,” said Chairman of Hong Kong West Kowloon Cultural District Authorities Henry Tang Ying-Yen.

Chairperson of Taiwan Art Gallery Association Chung Ching-Hsin said, “From the past to now, ink art has not been substituted but rather has been representing the new age. For long, my concern and enthusiasm stems from that, which coincides with the spirit of ink art. I, over the years, value and support Calvin’s efforts in promoting the glamour of the East to be shown to the globe. I am pleased to see him pursuing this goal incessantly and choose to put forth a new development in Taipei. He has my full support, and I, on behalf of the Taiwan art scene, welcome INK NOW to contribute to the prosperity in the Chinese art community.”