John McArthur is an artist who has found his muse in the colourful and dynamic city of Hong Kong. Since 1999, John has called this city his home, where he has drawn inspiration from the local culture and its rich traditions. John’s work is a celebration of the vibrant spirit of Hong Kong, with its colourful costumes and painted faces of Cantonese opera often featuring prominently in his paintings and drawings.
John’s unique style has been developed over the years, as he has honed his craft by creating artwork in his studio at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre. Here, he also offers a range of workshops and events to share his passion with others.
John’s sketchbook is an important tool for him, as he uses it to observe and record the lifestyle and interactions of his local environment and when travelling. This allows him to capture the essence of the places he visits and to bring his experiences to life in his artwork.
Browse John’s gallery to see the creative responses he has crafted from his experiences living and travelling throughout Asia, and immerse yourself in this artist’s vibrant and exciting world.
John McArthur has been a resident of Hong Kong since 1999. He has regularly held solo art exhibitions and participated in group shows internationally. His work is a combination of drawing, calligraphy, and painting. These artworks are included in private collections in Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom.
Within Hong Kong, John is a member of a number of organisations in the artistic community. He collaborates with the artist community, curating exhibitions, organizing regular life drawing, free public art events and presenting art lectures. He has created art from his studio, “Spitting Gecko 泉湧壁虎”, based in the JCCAC (Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre) for the last 15 years.
John was formally trained in visual arts, majoring in painting and drawing at U.S.Q Australia. He has continued studying by attending various courses at calligraphy schools and art workshops in Hong Kong, Australia, Italy and the U.S.A.
An Australian artist, John has been a resident of Hong Kong since 1999.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I am captivated by the environment and culture that surrounds me. Living in Asia, I am constantly inspired by the visual elements I see daily. My art reflects my experiences and observations, and I strive to create connections between these elements and my personal narrative.
Chinese opera masks, the colours of the theatre, and the texture of costumes are all specific elements that appear in my work. I reinterpret these elements as my own stories, using the mask as a metaphor for connection, concealment, and interaction. The human body and portraits are also a dominant inspiration for my visual imagery. The face and body are key elements in my visual narratives, whether nude or costumed.
I respond to these inspirations using lines, shapes, and textures in different forms, such as drawing and painting. I especially favour layering techniques and collage, incorporating found materials into my work. I often use Chinese ink, brush, and paper, and my pieces are often framed as traditional silk scrolls.
Graffiti and lettering also profoundly affect my art, and I enjoy exploring the layering and texture of letters in my work. Through these themes and elements, I have developed a unique personal style that continues to evolve through experimentation and discovery.
Ultimately, my art reflects my personal experiences and desire to connect with the world around me. I hope that my work can inspire others to see the beauty and complexity of the world around them and to find their own connections and narratives within it.
Approach
Artwork is created by using layers of drawing, painting and collage techniques.
Contact
Address: Spitting Gecko Studio, Studio #601, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon, HK. 賽馬會創意藝術中心 Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre 九龍石硤尾白田街30號
email : spittinggecko@gmail.com / jmcarthur@gmail.com Ph: +85296144658
Art Blog: http://artinasia.blogspot.hk/
website: www.spittinggeckostudio.com
EXHIBITION HISTORY
2022 – Traditions Continued Group Show 雅博軒ARTBOX, Kwai Chung – 10th December
2022-Yrellag Gallery 欣然呈獻Substance – Rensis Ho X JCCAC Artists
2022 – Record the Classic Arts – Chinese Opera Exhibition, City Hall Exhibition Hall, Hong Hong, 25th – 29th November
2022 – “Substance” Rensis Ho, Collaborative Exhibition L0 Gallery, JCACC Shek Kip Mei
2022 Be 40 Mixed-Media Exhibition, Hong Kong Fringe Club, 14 May – 30 June
2021 Moon Gallery – Kwun Tong – Sport Art Exhibition – Hong Kong
2021 STRIKE A POSE – Life Drawing exhibition L1 Central Courtyard JCCAC 4-11 May HK
Organised by John McArthur – Spitting Gecko Studio. Artists: Andy Fung, Janice Law, John Gale, Kong Tse, Simon Shingleton, John McArthur
2021 Three Walk Together II – Central Courtyard April 13 – JCCAC, Hong Kong
2020 “Bodies 2020” L7 Greenspace JCCAC July Solo Exhibition Hong Kong
2020 “Four Corners of the Earth” L7 JCCAC Hong Kong, January
2019 Decade’nce JCCAC Central Courtyard
2019 “Emerge” Mount Morgan Gallery Old Australia
2018 – 14/12/2018 – 13/1/2019【JCCAC Festival 2018】”Factory Forward” Group Exhibition
L0 & L1 Galleries ; L1 Central Courtyard ; L7 Green Space
2018 2018年3月，將踏入JCCAC十年的日子 JCCAC Ten Years
2018 – 8th – 21 June Collected Fragments – Swing A Cat Gallery, To Kwa Wan Hong Kong
th2018 – April- HeART Walk – Hong Hong – H Gallery -Sai Kung
2017 9th – 10th December, 《藝聚西貢》 “Sai Kung Art And About” STREET ART FAIR :(Sat & Sun) from 12:30pm-6pm
2017 July – Fragments – The Bridge Art Space – Thailand ( Solo Exhibition)
2016 – Sai Kung Art And About – Hong Kong Council Art Event 第二屆”藝聚西貢”將於2016年12月3至4日(星期六及日) 12:30pm -6pm在西貢市中心舉行叧一次街頭藝墟。
2016 “Mix And Mingle” – The Hive – Sai Kung Group Exhibition October Art Charity.
2016 ‘FACADE” – Painting exhibition, Purple Lounge and Bar, Forbes Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. ( September 1 – 29)
2016 Asian Watercolour Expression “Hallo Hallo Bandung” – Indonesia, Group Exhibition
2016 “Incheon Global Cities and Exchange Grand Festival Exhibition”, Group Exhibition, Seoul
2016 “ Sai Kung Art and About” Art Fair and Exhibition, Mei Yuen Street & Tin Hau Temple Square, March 19 and 20
2016 “Tribute – Tarie HO” Group Exhibition 19th February – ( Curated by John McArthur) JCCAC Level 0 Gallery
2016 “ 15th January , JCCAC Visual Art Group Exhibition
2015 Incheon Global Art Exhibition “ 11-17 September Incheon, Korea. Incheon Metropolitan City Arts Association
2014 VIVE L’ HOMME (September 2014) exhibition – Lust for Life Gallery Brisbane Australia
2014 Ritual Level 0 Gallery JCCAC April
2014 Ignite – Lightning –Guest Speaker
2013 “5” Exhibition – Group show – JCCAC
2013 “Portraits:The Brick House Collection” – The Brick House, Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong
2013 Senseless Art Event The Russian Dolls, Group Exhibition,Tin Hau HK
2013 Face To Face Life Drawing Exhibition and Art Event, 面對面 人物繪描 January 19th 2013 John McArthur curated Group Show JCCAC Podium
2012 创世2012——深圳F518左街创库六周年展展览时间, End of Era Artbase F18, Shnzhen, China
2012 Seven Deadly Sins, Voxfire Gallery, Hong Kong November 2012
2012 Four Year Celebration – JCCAC 石硤尾藝術村四年來回展 (Loi Wui Zin)
2012 Unchanged over Time – Solo Exhibition – Café Golden Art Showroom- JCCAC-HK
2011 – Lai See- Koru Contemporary Art Exhibition – Koru Gallery Hong Kong
2011 YES THE DOOR IS OPEN – Contemporary Art Exhibition – JCCAC Artists – L1 Gallery HK
2011 【（深水）螞蟻節】 B Festival Art Exhibition – JCCAC – Hong Kong
19/3/2011 – 19/4/2011 commissioned by Hong Kong Arts Development Council
2010- Nam Song International Art Fair 2010- Seongnam Arts Center, KOREA
2010 – BODY SESSIONS – The Exhibition- JCCAC L1 Gallery – Hong Kong
2009 – 3rd Nam Song International Art Fair- Seongnam Arts Center, KOREA
2009 – ONE- JCCAC Spitting Gecko Studio and Common Areas
2009- KLOMPF -Three Pacific Place. Exhibtion and online Auction
2009- Retrospect , Reborn , ABC Calligraphy Exhibition, Wanchai HK
2009 – Art And City , Hong Kong JCCAC Artists Exhibition
2009 – ING Mini Art Walk, IFC Tower
2009 – DRAGON FLIES, MOON DANCES, The Fringe Gallery, Hong Kong
2008- People Mountain People Sea – Koru Gallery Hong Kong (August)
2008/1/06 Fotan Artists Open Studios / 藝術工作室開放計劃2008 “BODY TALK EXHIBITION”
Thematic Exhibition III -“My Developmental Path” JCCAC
2008 -THE VISUAL IDIOMS OF HONG KONG JCCAC
2007 – The Colours of Hong Kong. JCCAC, Baptist University
2007/10/27 Art of Gift, Gift of Art 2007 – Koru Gallery Hong Kong 2007, May Artist in Residence II – Portal- Work and Play
2007 THE FACE OF ASIA< Paintings & Photography 繪畫及攝影 Economist Gallery
Several Hong Kong-based artists, including Kat Cooper, Haruka Ashida, Amy Atkinson and John McArthur.
2007 Body Search – Fo Tan Joy Art Studio
2006 Art of Gift…Gift of Art , Koru-HK Gallery
2006, “Figure Heads Return 2006” – Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
30 June 2006, MELANGE, Yoga – Fitness Studio Hong Kong
4 April 2006, Australia: Art and About, Koru-HK Gallery
2005 – TRANSITIONS – Koru-HK Gallery
2005 “Give Peace a Chance” – Calligraphy Exhibition, Artland Gallery HK
2003 -Celebration – Group Calligraphy Show , Wesleyan University ,Ohio U.S.A