Interview: Gail So
Luca Curci talks with Gail So during FRAGMENTED IDENTITIES, second appointment of BORDERS Art Fair 2020, at THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space.

After having finished her studies in the UK, Gail decided to return to Hong Kong, and had recently graduated from her B.F.A photography degree in Savannah College of Art and Design, Hong Kong. She was fortunate enough to have had the chance to work with local studios and art centers, and had her work featured in magazines and online platforms. Colors play a major role in many of her works, as Gail believes colors reflect and communicate one’s emotions deeply. Ironically, she used to dislike colorful things while at a rather darker stage of her life. But she was encouraged later on exploring the relationships among emotions, colors and lights. The complexity of humanity and reality has inspired her melancholic, dreamy and soft style. Somehow, she wants to show the contradiction between reality and her imagination. She believes memories are fragmented; she might not be able to reinforce certain feelings. However, she would be able to recreate layers of illusionary scenes, along with showing the emotions or moods that have moulded in the present moment. The process of not only photo-shooting, but especially post-production, has brought her mind at ease. Indeed, she sees it as a way of her ‘meditating process’. The way it lets her imagine sprinkle and glisten freely, has motivated her to treasure the opportunities to share out these creativities. She’s aiming to continue to explore the beauty of irrationality and magical reality. It is her utmost desire that one day she would not only be able to be inspired by many more, but hopefully to also heal one another along her creative path.

Luca Curci – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
Gail So – I am currently based in Hong Kong, and concentrated on fine art photography. Once I was at a ‘denial’ stage; I was addicted to the ‘darkness’ of the world. Everything has seemed abnormally colorless to me. Indeed, I have once claimed that I dislike colorful things. It has come to a breaking point, when I started to realize that I had been dwelling in darkness long enough. I needed to pull myself out. Then, I searched for a bit of light in the darkness. I decided to pick my camera up, not only to shoot for the sake of shooting. But also to search for the lights that shown the brightest to me. I wanted to reconnect with my inner child wholeheartedly; I wanted to sparkle that creativity in me and make use of my surreal perspective of the world. I had a wild imagination to create and sprinkle creativities around, along with a desire to reconnect with the world, and share that joy and peacefulness with others.

LC – What are you currently working on?
GS – I still need a lot of practices and improvements on lightings. I therefore search not only for the light that’s already around us, but also hope to improvise and add some of the artificial lights into my work. I am trying out different daily objects to enhance the experience and expression of my work. On the other hand, I have always wanted to combine art therapy and photography together. Not only I am trying to create more pieces of work, but I am hoping to ease the viewer’s mind with my work. Therefore, I have started studying Psychology. I hope to get a chance to make that dream of mine come true, and get more and also share more of a perspective of our inner-selves.

LC – How is being an artist nowadays?
GS – Being an artist is amazing. It is being able to spark up creativity constantly and consequently experiencing pure joy and euphoria. I believe there’s a beauty in different eras of being an artist. Nonetheless, being an artist does not only enable you to express through explorations, but also to connect each other. There is also that impeccable feeling of seeing the artworks that you have created, and how they touch other people’s souls.

LC – Are your artworks focused on a specific theme?
GS – My artworks mostly have an approach of showing emotions, and an inner-self’s aspects, with a surrealistic, soft and melancholic theme.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
GS – Having to connect with inner-self can be one of the most challenging parts. If I am not in the right mindset, I can never create artwork that is soulful and I won’t be able to work on them wholeheartedly.

LC – We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the festival or as a part of preexisting works?
GS – ‘Fragmented Identities’, the title of the exhibition, has made me fallen for it. I guess there’s always this fragmented part of us, which everyone can relate to. “Wander-land” surely is one of my favorites from my own work. It has a story behind this significant image, and I am gratefully honored to have it being shown in the show.

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
GS – It’s a great platform bringing all the artists together, and letting people not only to be inspired, but also to inspire one another.

LC – Would you suggest a collaboration with us? What do you think about our services?
GS – Yes, I would definitely suggest another collaboration with you guys; possibly something related to how color has such an impact on human behaviors, feelings and thinking. Perhaps I might get a chance to recommend you to others too. I think your services are great.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
GS – Yes definitely, not only for artists, but it is an opportunity for the world to be reconnected with their creativities.