Born in Hong Kong in 1960, Johnson Tsang specializes in modern and contemporary art. He’s always been fond of ceramics and sculptures, playing with the idea of texture and human emotions. He wasn’t an artist early in his life though. Tsang had to take care of himself growing up without much parenting. His mother left when he was just a few years old. His father was in and out of drug usage. Tsang jumped around odd jobs until he decided to train as a police officer.

During his early time as an officer, Tsan visited the Hong Kong Arts Center where he found breathtaking inspiration to pursue art. “I entered a world that truly belonged to me”, he said. He began to shape works of art with his hands as he applied issues with society and human emotion.

A Dish of Future

This work done in 2006 expresses the untold truth of society here on Earth. Two hands with a fork and knife in each hand digging into a dish you’ve never seen before. On the plate is a meal that looks like the Earth with a fetus inside.

The tragic message is that humans are rapidly depleting our planet for our own good from each generation. Humans leave the next generation with a whole new set of issues to deal with instead of setting them up for success. It’s tragic, yet a genius perspective to the future made in a dish.

Still in One Piece III

This piece is a perfect expression of how Tsang reflects on the obstacles of society. A symbol for the COVID-19 pandemic has been the masks that billions of people use today to prevent spreading. Tsang created a delicate sculpture where two masks are shaped into faces. The intertwined face masks are locked in a kiss with noses and lips that look like humans.

It represents how people feel today. Distancing and isolation were emphasized during the pandemic, but humans still crave love and affection. As a kiss represents love, the masks separate us even if it is in our best interest to prevent the virus from spreading.

Lucid Dream II Series

Lucid Dream II_Work in Progress

Tsang is best known for his face-shaped sculptures that display an array of emotions. In the Lucid Dream II Series, Tsang uses clay to create multiple human faces that appear twisted, contorted, and literally bend the mind. He focuses on human subconsciousness and experiments like people have never seen before.

Lucid Dream II_Here and There

Lucid Dream II_Here and There (Detail)

Here and There, for example, features a human face with the eyes closed in a resting expression. Half of the face is human, while the other half appears as a crumbling building. The face is three-dimensional with gaping holes and debris. It looks like the building is going through major demolition. Just as people appear to be in peace, they may be torn down on the inside with nobody knowing.

Lawful Custody is another instance where Tsang combines realistic facial sculptures with his surrealist imagination. This sculpture looks like a broken shell with a human face on the inside. The face is at a similar resting position like Here and There is. The face is behind bars and could represent a number of powerful messages here. Is it a clever way of showing that people are limited by their own subconscious? Or could it be the fact that people lock away their genuine emotions?