David and Stephen

David & Stephen is a creative duo created by us, two local young artists, Elise Lai and Sarah Lai. Through collaboration, we have brand-new identities. We see the group as a way to create through our intimate interactions. The additional identity of the duo, in our imagination, is “someone” different from our own egos – “middle-aged Caucasian gentlemen, who are life-experienced, witty, leisurely and carefree”. For us, we suggest a casual and relaxing attitude towards our new way of creating.

Moreover, painting is conventionally a medium that an artist creates by oneself. The process of creation is always personal and independent. However, through the works, David & Stephen explores and shows the possibility of painting through cooperation.

Good night, sweet dream:

It is about when two people sit and paint together at the same time, it’s done in the winter of 2009. During the painting process in dry winter, we found our hands were intensively dehydrated, then we decided to made our own hand cream.

　　
Freshen up my Victoria:

The artwork is inspired by Victor, Lui Chun Kwong’s landscape series and his dressing habit in daily life. We have made a personal gift, a hand-made shirt. David & Stephen sees personal gifts as objects that commonly circulate among people in close relationships. Gift is always the outcome of the giver’s careful observation of the receiver’s habits and preferences from his/her daily life.

With Lui we would like to carry out our spirits, revive the vitality of youth by infusing freshness into the work, and build up sentiment through the intimate cooperation.