Forthcoming

A new publication: Three Years in Exile, by Fong So. The author started his self-imposed exile in 2020, a few months after the imposition of the notorious National Security Law in Hong Kong. After uprooting himself from his home city, he has experienced quite a lot. While struggling to adapt to a life in a different environment, he spent his spare time recording what he had encountered in the form of sketches and 139 pieces were compiled into a book. Explanatory notes were written to accompany the sketches, recalling mainly what he felt while compiling them. All materials for this book were ready two years ago, but, for various reasons, the project was halted. Now, thanks to the generous support of friends, the project has eventually been revived. Hopefully, the book will be off press in March/April 2026.
(Please email the author/artist for this book: fongso.artist@gmail.com)

即將出版：《流離紀事》。此書作者方蘇於2020年國安法强加於香港之後外移，開始自行放逐的流離歲月。在離亂困厄中，他既要適應新的生活環境，也要盡可能持續繪畫。限於媒材，他主要是畫速寫。三年之間，他累積速寫百多張，選錄了139張結集成書，再加配文字，呈示他離港之後的經歷及所見所思。此書的圖文材料，兩年前已完成，但基於種種原因，一直擱置。現今得到朋友支持，出書計劃復甦。新書估計2026年三至四月間可以面世。
(購買此書，請電郵聯絡: fongso.artist@gmail.com)

Cover image
It’s a self-imposed exile. I had no idea what could’ve happened had I stayed in Hong Kong. When I was walking inside the Greenwich Foot Tunnel in London, I felt a sudden chill. It’s not a dark tunnel. In fact, I have walked through a much darker one…. – FS

Project gallery
1. A fine mess: That’s what I had left behind by the time I left Hong Kong – a messy working studio. I didn’t know when I would come back and had no idea what the future would hold for me. – FS

2. First Snow: It’s difficult to find a place to stay during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, with the help of a friend, I was allowed to share an almost vacant house in Belfast for nearly one year. Winter came when I got there with my partner. We had to hole ourselves up inside the house most of the time. – FS

3. Seized work: I received a message with a news photo from a friend before leaving Belfast. It was the news about the closure of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Democratic Movements in China and the Alliance’s June 4 Museum. The Museum was raided by the National Security Police and many objects were seized, including a painting of mine on loan to the Alliance. – FS

4. Umbrellas Cities: After staying in Belfast for one year, my partner and I moved to London via Liverpool. The decorations I saw in two streets of Belfast and Liverpool reminded me of something about Hong Kong that had very strong impact on my mind: umbrellas. – FS

5. Beer Garden: I am not a frequent pub goer, but some pubs provide very good spaces for me to spend time when I have the need to think alone. In a chilly September afternoon, I sat still in the beer garden of a neighbourhood pub for two hours to think how to write a very difficult piece. I managed to figure out how to do that after finishing a pint. – FS

6. Reflection: I had an unspeakable shock while encountering this tear-shaped sculpture in Canary Wharf in London. The sculpture is made of polished steel and viewers can see their own reflections in it. The title given to it is Tear. Reflecting what I had been through in front of it, I was nearly in tears myself. – FS

7. House Hunting: In London, as in my stay in Belfast, I shared a vacant apartment recommended by another friend. The house-owner was kind enough to let me renew the agreement of staying on every six months. After living there for one and half years, my partner and I decided to find a more permanent place. We spent months house-hunting and eventually moved out of that east London flat. – FS

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*Original sketches on this page are available for acquisition. Please contact the artist: fongso.artist@gmail.com

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Last updated: October 2025