AN ARTWORLD COATED IN CANDY

Coated in candy and covered in rainbow colours, there is barely a person who can resist the glamour of lollipops in one’s childhood. As it melts in your mouth, your mind will be imbued with a momentary pleasure, filling every bit of you with happiness.

– Under the pen name Leon Lollipop, Leon is a multi-disciplined artist whose works include drawing and design. Leon Lollipop is more than a catchy name, it also fully reflects Leon’s drawing style – as lively and pleasant as a lollipop.

“I have a fondness for animals, especially cats and dogs. They seem to have an emotional connection with us.”

– Leon Lollipop

– Wearing a crown on his head and holding his chin on his hand, he is deeply immersed in his contemplation. This little pug, Carlo, is always featured in Leon’s drawings. It’s lovely character has attracted numerous animal fans.

– When you take a closer look into Leon Lollipop’s drawings, you will discover his penchant for animals. As they appear in most of his works, one may wonder what makes Leon so attached to animals.

– “I have a fondness for animals, especially cats and dogs. They seem to have an emotional connection with us,” Leon explained.

– Apart from this collection of art works, the recent drawings by Leon Lollipop have overcome the boundaries of frames. He presents his work across several canvases so that they piece together to make a larger painting which leaves me with a strong impression.

– “In the past, my art works were framed in a square or rectangle. Now, I would like to make a breakthrough – to overcome the boundaries of frames and pursue other forms of presentation. By using different materials or fabrics, I try to give my art works an irregular shape and an unusual texture,” Leon added.

– “Comparing with your works in the past, this series carries a brand-new style. Looking back, how has your style changed?” I asked.

– “After completing the design programme at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, I flew to the U.K to read a Masters Degree in Industrial Design at the Central St. Martins College of Arts and Design,” Leon said. “One time when I was in a second-hand book store, I saw a photo in a book, in which there is a girl playing with her dog but the photo showed the lower half body of the girl only. This photo impressed me a lot and it became the major composition of my works at a very early stage.”

– “At that time, the gist of my works was mainly about my personal stories and sentiments. But then when I had the opportunities to work with different brands, I tried to include more different topics in my works. Now, as I mentioned before, I would like to jump out of the frame and look for more breakthroughs,” said Leon Lollipop.

– As a matter of fact, Leon Lollipop’s style has attracted many art lovers. He has worked with international brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Benefit Cosmetics, MCM Worldwide and Michael Kors.

– When I asked him about his most memorable experience, he recounted, “I had two crossover projects with Benefit, the American cosmetic brand, in which I draw with the Indispensable Rouge Water and the Brow Pencil. Although it was quite challenging to use cosmetics instead of drawing pens to draw, I am very happy with the artpiece.”

– While Leon looks forward to more future opportunities to cooperate with different brands, he hopes that his works can bring happiness to others.

– If you wish to have a closer look into Leon Lollipop’s works, make sure you will not miss the 15th Asia Contemporary Art Show from 4 October to 7 October at Conrad Hong Kong, where Leon’s latest works will be exhibited.

Asia Contemporary Art Show, 15th Edition
October 4th – 7th October, 2019
Conrad Hong Kong, 40 – 43 floors

#Vol.08