CNTRFLD. How has your heritage influenced your work? Are there specific cultural elements that you incorporate into your art?

EP. Growing up bilingual in Chinese and English, I've been exposed to Chinese and Western cultures. This dual influence has allowed me to develop a unique artistic voice that combines different cultural elements, pop culture, east and west philosophy and new technologies into my work.

Unlike older generations who often worked with traditional Chinese media, like ink painting, my generation of artists had more freedom to explore diverse media, styles and content. We weren't bound by traditions or a particular ideology. We are more idiosyncratic and experimental in some way to create our own voice. 

After years working in art, science and technology, I found “cosmotechnics”, a term coined by a contemporary philosophy professor from Hong Kong, Hui Yuk, to be fascinating. This term describes the Chinese view of the "unification of the cosmic order and the moral order through technical activities”. While working on, “F10ral, Zer0”, a project to sonify the DNA information of Bauhinia x blakeana, Hong Kong's emblem flower, a unique hybrid sterile flower found in Hong Kong; I discovered that scientists have researched on the relation between the genome and the 64 hexagrams from I-Ching. This ancient Chinese text has been making predictions for thousands of years from calculations of the binary, yin and yang. It looks at Earth time and Earth, our space from a cosmotechnics perspective.

CNTRFLD. Can you tell us about your background and upbringing? Were there any influences in your childhood that led you to pursue a career in the arts?

EP. I was fortunate to grow up in a household where science and creativity converged. My father, a medical doctor passionate about engineering, often spent his free time tinkering with our home appliances. He repaired washing machines and upgraded air conditioners, bringing a sense of innovation into our daily lives.

One of my fondest childhood memories is the music turntable my father built for us. We'd listen to an eclectic mix of the Beatles, MOR, and classical compositions, sparking my early interest in diverse art forms.

My family's love for visual storytelling manifested in our home movies, captured on Super-8 film when I was young. This early exposure to moving images was further nurtured when my father gifted me my first camera at seven. This present set me on a path to explore image-based media from a young age, laying the foundation for my future artistic endeavours.

CNTRFLD. From your perspective, how has Asian art influenced today's culture over the years, and what is your opinion on the importance and impact of this movement in the global artistic landscape?

EP. 'Asian art' has always been a fluid concept, continuously transformed by artists within Asia and diaspora communities worldwide. At the same time, the Covid pandemic has accelerated a shift towards digital platforms, blurring geographical boundaries. AI generative works also challenge traditional notions of culture and authorship.

Hong Kong's unique position as a cultural melting pot offers a valuable perspective on cultural identity transformation. Our city is home to Western expat artists and HK artists who have experienced growing up abroad, exemplifying a new kind of diaspora. On a different level, digital nomads shift from local geographic locations to the digital realm. Digital artists are reinterpreting traditional Asian art forms using new technologies. For instance, teamLab, a Japanese art collective, creates immersive digital installations that blend traditional Japanese motifs with cutting-edge technology, showcasing how ancient artistic concepts can be reimagined for the digital age.

Both traditional Asian concepts and contemporary global experiences are finding new relevance in addressing universal issues. For instance, my work exploring connections between the I-Ching and A.I.  demonstrates how ancient wisdom can provide fresh insights into cutting-edge technologies.

CNTRFLD. How do you navigate the balance between staying true to your artistic vision and adapting to the evolving trends and demands of the contemporary art scene, especially given the current climate in Hong Kong?

EP. Videotage, the artist collective, supports freedom of expression and provides resources to develop locally grown artists. We have long-term partners to present and promote our works to a worldwide audience. There are works that are now censored in Hong Kong. Some artists decided to immigrate to other places. Some directors chose to distribute their works outside Hong Kong to maintain their freedom of speech.  It is very sad to see that the city has changed so much. Protecting our history is the utmost urgent task we can do if we want to see hope for the future.

CNTRFLD. As a woman artist, have you faced any specific challenges in the art world? How have you navigated these obstacles?

EP. Videotage, as an organization aligned with the LGBTQ+ community, has been actively engaged in programs celebrating equality and diversity since its inception. Broader societal acceptance took more time to develop. Awareness of human rights gradually evolved as civic action grew. Feminist groups and LGBTQ+ activist organizations increased in number and influence from 80s onward, playing a crucial role in this transformation.

However, Hong Kong has recently witnessed a discerning disintegration of its civic society, particularly in the human rights sphere. Equality and diversity activists were arrested due to the protest and election in 2019.

CNTRFLD. You’ve had your work displayed at M+, the Venice Biennale, and the Guggenheim. Is there a favourite piece or exhibit that holds special significance to you?

EP. I would say “Recycling Cinema”, which premiered at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001, holds a special place for me. I filmed the Eastern Corridor Day and night during the first month after moving my office to the Oil Street Art Village. I put the camera on a pan head, mimicking the movement of a surveillance camera. The repetition of the camera movement is expected to lead the audience's eye/ head movement. 2 works come out from this film. One is a one-channel video that is emotional, and another is a video installation work that is more like a science experiment. The two works of the same name have different effects on the audience. I like the work because it has a breakthrough in film language, and its kinesthetics take on our senses and body.

CNTRFLD. Your next project is to create a DAO and a digital art gallery. How is that going, and can you tell us more about it?

EP. HK culture grew from the “culture dessert” in the sixties to a vibrant scene in 2020.  We want our culture to strive and flourish amidst societal changes. Blockchain is a technology that can preserve uniqueness, it also enables collective decisions and actions. I believe the DAO and digital art gallery are the future. I think it is a perfect platform for Hong Kong.

We are deep into the research and planning phase, strengthening connections with other organisations and like-minded individuals. We are also recruiting artist members who share our passion for this project. Stay tuned for more updates to be unveiled at Videotage's 40th anniversary in 2026. If anyone is interested and eager to get involved, we'd be thrilled to connect with you.

CNTRFLD. Who are your inspirations in the art world? As a mentor to many young artists in Hong Kong, is there an emerging artist we should look out for?

EP. In the early days of my artist career, I worked in Zuni Icosahedron, an avant-garde theatre group led by Danny Yung. Danny is a multimedia artist, architect, comic writer, filmmaker, and dance theatre director who experiments with different media. As a young filmmaker, I produced video documentation for Danny. I learnt a lot from him.

Recently, I found works by Lazarus Chan Long Fung interesting. He has used expanded animation, AI, and gaming in his work. His latest work focuses on affective gaming between the player and the machine. He is building his automata metaverse that operates on the law of physics, quantum mechanics and machine learning.