Southside, Hong Kong
Dony Cheng Hung
Time Objects
Gallery ExitGallery Exit is pleased to present Time Objects, a solo exhibition by Dony Cheng Hung. In this new body of work, Cheng deepens her ongoing inquiry into urban existence, perception, and temporality. Cheng reflects on the shift from a past in which time was non-uniform, repeatedly reactivated through ritual and architecture, to a present dominated by speed, measurement, and constant management. This exploration is inspired by her current reading of Mircea Eliade's 'Traite d'histoire des religions' and Paul Virilio's 'L'Esthetique de la disparition'. Her earlier investigations into the dialogue between artificial and natural light, along with latent rituals that reconnect us to nature within everyday routines, now converge into a visual language centered on the objectification of present-day temporality. Cheng found particular resonance in astronomical diagrams, especially moon-phase charts. By translating the moon into spheres placed on the ground, time is detached from nature, spatialized, and treated as a tangible form within the built environment. In Stretched Duration, a single dark sphere rests within an enclosed architectural space. Time appears suspended, held in extended stillness. In Time Without Sequence, the phases lose their cyclical order and scatter across the ground, evoking the fragmented, fleeting pace of contemporary life. These compositions reveal a tension between natural time and abstract time. In response to this condition, Cheng uses Musou Black, an ultra-light-absorbing pigment, to create a sense of pause. This blackness stores a quiet desire for calm, both in space and in time. Crafted with airbrushed acrylics and textured surface treatments, the paintings resist the smooth detachment of screen-based media. Traces of hand-applied marks remain visible, inviting haptic engagement and bodily presence. Time Objects invites viewers to inhabit time differently—not as a line to measure or manage, but as an ambient field through which we might once again sense our place within something larger and unresolved. Dony Cheng Hung (b. 1993, Hong Kong) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2017 and Master of Fine Arts in 2023 from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Inspired by the man-made landscape of Hong Kong and the sense of alienation in the city. Cheng's multidisciplinary practice explores the complex interplay of light, shapes, and spaces. Her work explores the connection between our senses and the urban environment, and the intricate relationship between humans, nature, and urbanity. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including Finding Rest on the Highway (Gallery Exit, Hong Kong, 2024), Elaboration of the Reflected Lights (Gallery Exit, Hong Kong, 2022), Emo Gym (Tai Kwun, Hong Kong, 2022), The Night Observer (Yen Ben Contemporary, Tainan, 2021), and The Sunset Lasts Forever (a.m.space, Hong Kong, 2020). Cheng received the Tai Kwun Contemporary commission for 55 Squared (Unfurling the Scroll of Space and Time, 2020), the Fresh Trend Art Award and Grotto Fine Art's Creative Award in 2017. She also completed an artist residency at Treasure Hill Artist Village in 2018, and the Award for Young Artist (Visual Arts) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards in 2025. The artist currently lives and works in Hong Kong.