Leo Gallery Hong Kong | Ng Chung: Figures on Cigar Boxes and Floral Whispers

Leo Gallery Hong Kong is delighted to present Figures on Cigar Boxes and Floral Whispers, a solo exhibition by Ng Chung. Entering the gallery space, viewers follow Ng Chung’s innocent heart into the authentic rhythms of a life balanced between vibrant hustle and deep stillness. This shifting atmosphere—at times festive, at times profoundly quiet—is a perfect microcosm of Hong Kong itself. For over twenty years, Ng has worked from his Lan Kwai Fong studio, capturing the soul of the city. The people and years that once gathered and drifted away like smoke are carefully saved, distilled into personal treasure boxes filled with warmth and unique personality. In contrast, his flower still-life evokes the gentle serenity after a lively gathering or a night of drinking alone, appearing remarkably pure and inward-facing. For Ng, the act of creation is a journey of self-discovery, mapping his path between raw emotion and quiet restraint.

A central focus is his distinctive series of figures painted on cigar boxes. These 45 works were created from boxes the artist collected over years of daily smoking. By reusing these discarded materials, Ng gives them a second life. He turns his brush toward his closest friends, relatives, and apprentices, painting each according to their unique character. Like the covers of novels, each box holds the secrets of a soul. On these small surfaces, intimate emotional connections are preserved, turning everyday items into living vessels of time and real feeling.

Ng’s recent flower series forms a quiet counterpart, echoing the stillness of a late-night drink. Whether in the resilient Sunflowers and Evergreen on wood, or the solitary Flowers in a Vase and Magnolia on canvas, these works find an elegant balance within soft, muted tones. His heavy textures, once a fierce record of emotion on the cigar boxes, are here softened into serene, detached brushstrokes, carving out an intimate space for contemplation and a return to calm. In the intertwined branches of Bonsai and Orchid, the lines appear effortless yet carry great strength, perfectly mirroring his focused, quiet state of mind. In Figures on Cigar Boxes and Floral Whispers, visitors move between the lively spirit of the cigar boxes and the quiet language of the flowers, discovering the artist's truest life—poised masterfully between the vibrant and the serene.