The tap shoes are a reminder of my teens when I was influenced by musicals and tried to imitate dance steps shown on the screen.

From an early age, I had a passion for collecting objects of art.  It began after my mother allowed me to keep her little nacre salt spoons.  Some items I've bought, but most of the treasures I've amassed have been handed down from earlier generations.  One of my favourite belongings is the blue and white oval plate used by the cook who was employed by my grandfather's firm.  (The cook once cooked for the Duke of Windsor, during his visit to New Zealand).

Diana WONG

2018

When I was a child I knew that art would become my life.  I remember The Children's Corner of the Auckland Star newspaper which offered a 5/- (five shilling) prize to the child judged the winner for a submitted drawing.  It was a contest between Victor CHONG and myself as we almost always alternated winning the prize each week.

I attended the Elam School of Art in Auckland and have enjoyed travelling on overseas student programs, drawing, painting and learning of each country's different cultures. 

Modelling Chinese clay Funerary Homes is my latest project.

Priscilla WONG

2018

Diana and Priscilla WONG

Meeting Diana WONG [黄綺霞] at her home the first time, I am amazed that we both picked the same object, a blue and white oval plate, to represent her story. The plate was used by the cook who was employed by her grandfather WONG Yee Chong [黄爾昌] to serve daily meals to the whole firm. We both love the stain that is left behind by the long time erosion of the daily cooked hot food on the plate. For me, the stain is like the moss on a rock. It is filled with life: workers, customers, traffic, summer heat, winter-coldness, austerity and revelry.

Hearkening back to the conversation between Diana and her sister Priscilla [黄綺薇] about their family was pleasurable. Their great-grandfather WONG Hin Ming [黄顯明] came to Arrowtown as a bookkeeper in 1890. Their grandfather was born in China and arrived in New Zealand at about age 20. Their parents WONG Moo Sung [黄戊申] and LOWE Lai Kun [劉麗勤] had four daughters and two sons, Eileen [綺蓮], Beryl [綺蘭], Diana, Priscilla, Douglas [澤倫] and Trevor [會倫].

Diana was a serious tap dancer throughout her life. In the portrait, she improvised in front of the camera together with Priscilla who held Diana’s clay funerary home she made. One could feel Diana’s dancing rhythm through her gestures.  In conversation, her speaking tones buzzed with memories.

King Tong HO

2018

 踢踏舞鞋勾起我少年时的回忆。那时受音乐剧薰陶，经常跟着萤幕模仿舞步。

自从母亲让我拥有她的珍珠母制的小盐匙，我便爱收藏美术品，有些是我买回来，但大部分的珍藏都是祖辈传下来的。其中最喜爱的是一个蓝白色椭圆碟子，那是祖父的公司厨师所用。（这㕑师曾为到访新西兰的温莎公爵烹调膳食。）

黄绮霞

2018

孩提时便意识到艺术是我的生命。我记得奥克兰星报的儿童专栏，每星期评选儿童绘画得奖者、奖金五先令。这是 Victor CHONG 与我的竞赛，几乎是我与他轮流地获奖。我就读奥克兰大学的Elam 艺术系，爱参加海外学生计划，享受透过旅游和绘画，了解不同国家的文化。

我的近期作品是用黏土制作的陪葬用小屋。

黄绮薇

2018

黄绮霞与黄绮薇

首次与黄绮霞见面是在她家中，惊喜地、我们一致选择了一个蓝白色的椭圆碟子去演绎她的故事。碟子是她祖父黄尔昌的㕑师每天用来盛载食物、供给全公司职员享用。我们都喜爱碟上残留着长久以来受热食物侵蚀所形成的斑渍。在我看来，斑渍就像石头上的苔藓，充满着生命力：员工、顾客、营运、夏热、冬寒，透著简朴和欢愉。

聆听黄绮霞和妹妹绮薇关于家庭的谈话、令人愉快。一八九零年，她们的曾祖父黄显明来到箭城做书记员。祖父在中国出生、约在二十岁时来到纽西兰。父亲黄戊申和母亲刘丽勤生有四女两子：就是绮莲、绮兰、绮霞、绮薇、泽伦和会伦。

绮霞一生热爱踢踏舞。在她的肖像里，她即兴地在镜头前起舞, 与妹妹拿着自己用黏土制成的陪葬用小屋呼应。她的舞姿透着节奏感，犹如她的话音, 呢喃著回忆。

何经棠

2018

 踢踏舞鞋勾起我少年時的回憶。那時受音樂劇薰陶，經常跟著螢幕模仿舞步。

自從母親讓我擁有她的珍珠母製的小鹽匙，我便愛收藏美術品，有些是我買回來，但大部分的珍藏都是祖輩傳下來的。其中最喜愛的是一個藍白色橢圓碟子，那是祖父的公司廚師所用。（這㕑師曾為到訪紐西蘭的溫莎公爵烹調膳食。）

黃綺霞

2018

孩提時便意識到藝術是我的生命。我記得奧克蘭星報的兒童專欄，每星期評選兒童繪畫得獎者、獎金五先令。這是 Victor CHONG 與我的競賽，幾乎是我與他輪流地獲獎。我就讀奧克蘭大學的 Elam 藝術系，愛參加海外學生計劃，享受透過旅遊和繪畫，了解不同國家的文化。

我的近期作品是用黏土製作的陪葬用小屋。

黃綺薇

2018

黃綺霞與黃綺薇

首次與黃綺霞見面是在她家中，驚喜地、我們一致選擇了一個藍白色的橢圓碟子去演繹她的故事。碟子是她祖父黃爾昌的㕑師每天用來盛載食物、供給全公司職員享用。我們都喜愛碟上殘留着長久以來受熱食物侵蝕所形成的斑漬。在我看來，斑漬就像石頭上的苔蘚，充滿著生命力：員工、顧客、營運、夏熱、冬寒，透著簡樸和歡愉。

聆聽黃綺霞和妹妹綺薇關於家庭的談話、令人愉快。一八九零年，她們的曾祖父黃顯明來到箭城做書記員。祖父在中國出生、約在二十歲時來到紐西蘭。父親黃戊申和母親劉麗勤生有四女兩子：就是綺蓮、綺蘭、綺霞、綺薇、澤倫和會倫。

綺霞一生熱愛踢踏舞。在她的肖像裏，她即興地在鏡頭前起舞, 與妹妹拿著自己用黏土製成的陪葬用小屋呼應。她的舞姿透著節奏感，猶如她的話音, 呢喃著回憶。

何經棠

2018