Artist / Benny To

To Kai On, Benny was born in 1994, Hong Kong. He studied and engaged in the hospitality industry for several years. He was inspired by different artists from different countries when he was traveling alone. He decided to change his way of living by doing works. He studies the Higher Diploma in Fine Art Programme (Photography & Ceramics) from the Hong Kong Art School at twenty-one years old. After graduating from the Higher Diploma, He continues to study The RMIT Bachelor of Arts (Ceramics) which is co-presented by Hong Kong Art School & RMIT University.

 

To Kai On Benny utilizes hypothetical archeology to create fictitious ancient artifacts, reimagining the relationship between history, religion, and popular culture. Benny is inspired by the art of prehistoric and early civilizations: being enlightened intellectually and spiritually by nature, ancient people developed religious mythology. They created totems and statues to bring their deepest desires and fantasies to life by converting these into tangible objects. Benny consciously gets similar nourishment and enlightenment in modern popular culture. He selected materials from sci-fi animations and movies. He made the characters and props from these stories into forged historical relics. The works resemble the archaeological discoveries of the future people in the present age after a thousand years. These representative pop culture works profoundly impact millennials, serving as objects of worship and fantasy in their childhood and shaping their worldview and values as they grow up.

 

Benny molds ready-made plastic toys and uses traditional pottery techniques to create ceramic, a medium used in ancient times to make ritual and ceremonial objects and historical evidence, to reproduce the shape of mass production in modern industry. He imitated the archaic people's way of transforming wishes and fantasies into art, turning the desires and fantasies of millennials into tangible objects, recording the collective mental outlook as if they were part of the era. He created imaginary archaeology through fictional cultural relics, allowing viewers to look back at contemporary society from the perspective of future people, and observe the continuity of civilization's past, present, and future.

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Education

2021 Graduated with Bachelor of Arts by Hong Kong Art School & RMIT University. (Major in Ceramics)

2018 Graduated with Higher Diploma in Fine Art of Hong Kong Art School (Major in Photography & Ceramics)

2013 Graduated with Foundation Certificate in Hospitality Industry of VTC Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre

 

Solo Exhibitions

2022【Dimensional Civilization Archeology Project 2.0】 Art Basel Hong Kong, Para Site

2021《ARCHAEOLOGY IN RPG vol.1》, Yrellag Gallery

2021《TKOB-24-25YRS-OBJs》, Mist Gallery

 

Group Exhibitions

2022 Fancied, Touch Gallery, Hong Kong

2022【38.4】, 1999 Art Space x Wure Area
2022【次元文明 考古計劃Vol.0 環型之章】, Infectment
2021【+1】— Hong Kong Art School Alumni Network Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre Pao Galleries
2021【十日陶市】A 10-Day Ceramic Fair , Foreforehead
2021【Sumo Pottery】+ Forest Round Round, K11 Art Mall
2021【"Culturing"】, RMIT & HKAS BAFA Graduate Exhibition , Hong Kong Arts Centre Pao Galleries
2020【Carving into the Forest】 , A Dichotomy in Clay Group Exhibition, Forest Round Round
2020【Seal Tight】Hong Kong Art School BAFA (Ceramics Major) Year 3 Students Joint Exhibition
2019 Agave Bazaar Group Exhibition, Forest Round Round 

2018 Hong Kong Art School Higher Diploma in Fine Art(Major in Ceramics) Graduation Showcase
2017 Hong Kong Art School Higher Diploma in Fine Art(Major in Photography) Graduation Showcase

 

Awards

2021 Vitamin D award, Hong Kong Art School

2018 FRANZ Rising Star Scholarship, FRANZ Rising Star Project 

2018 Excellent Presentation Award, Hong Kong Art School
2017 Outstanding Performance Scholarship , Hong Kong Art School