Recently, everyone has probably seen Raider promoting a small exhibition on Instagram, Facebook, and at various yellow stores. I'm sure everyone is curious about what it is all about 🤔.
Actually, this exhibition is a collaborative effort between Raider and a very talented local cartoonist, Mr. Lau Kwong-shing, to present original artwork. His works tend to be dark and somber; a quick search of his work will reveal his significant contributions to Hong Kong and his influence on us. The fact that our beloved Hong Kong is currently going through a dark period further motivated us to seek collaboration with him.
Born in 1990, Liu Guangcheng moved to Japan with his father at the age of two and decided to pursue a career as a manga artist around the age of six. He currently works primarily in comics, animation, and illustration. At eight, he returned to mainland China with his parents for a temporary stay, a period marked by a year of relentless bullying. Due to his anti-Japanese sentiments, classmates and teachers alike disliked him and tried every means to harass him. I myself have been bullied, and it certainly has an impact on my future. This childhood experience has shaped Liu Guangcheng, making him more mature and composed. This experience also imbues his work with a somber atmosphere, prompting reflection on the darker aspects of life and prompting deep thought. Aside from being a cartoonist, he is also a street dancer, and therefore yearns for more freedom and space, which is reflected in his works.
"Graphite on Paper: A Profound Realm"
Through this exhibition, we want everyone to experience firsthand the interplay between the pencil strokes and the texture of the graphite in the original artworks. A piece of paper 📜, a pen ✏️, is enough to express a story, a message—that's the power of art 😤. At the same time, you can explore the profound meaning and ineffable sense of loneliness in these original works, prompting reflection on the present. And with this in mind, we also wish to share this message: may we continue to walk together in the darkness 👫👭👬
On the day of the exhibition, besides helping them set up their art exhibition, we'll also buy various merchandise, such as T-shirts, posters, and postcards 🥳. And we'll give all the proceeds, after deducting costs, to this artist. Why? 🤯 Because when they support us, what reason do we have not to support them in return? 
Similarly, we at Raider hope to continue to have everyone's support 🙌🏻 So, at this year's original artwork exhibition, we'll still mainly be selling T-shirts 😎 However, since we're collaborating with a comic artist this year, we're not selling plain T-shirts, but rather commemorative T-shirts printed with Yoo Kwang-sung's works 🎀 The T-shirts are based on AAA T-shirts, then printed on them, and the looseness and thickness are perfect for this summer 🌞 There are 🖐🏻 designs for the commemorative T-shirts, each drawn from a different chapter of Yoo Kwang-sung's 🖐🏻 works. The T-shirts have three main features:
- Understated, experience it with your own eyes 👁 Each piece has a short description, but we've subtly incorporated that description into the T-shirt. We hope everyone can experience the essence through the visuals of the comic, rather than first reading the description and then the comic itself 😌. Many works don't need to be explained or written down to be understood; we've spent more time on the details 🕑 and are willing to put in the effort to present the best possible experience to everyone 🙏🏻
- Printing🎨 Instead of playing with colors, the five T-shirts mainly feature black and white and gradients🔳 Each color has a different shade, which is quite subtle, and they actively cater to the dark and heavy style of the comic artist.
- Postcard 🏷 When you buy a T-shirt, we'll randomly include a postcard featuring another piece from the same collection. We think it's really appealing! 🥰
With so many T-shirts, let me briefly mention my two favorites 👍🏻
First of all, this is an excerpt from Liu Guangcheng's 2017 novel "Unknown Brothers". It tells the story of a child living under the shadow of domestic violence and a broken marriage. Because he cannot get love from his family, he decides to go to the rooftop and end his life. 😔 Before I knew this story, I already felt that the painting was very heavy. If I were him standing in front of the rooftop, what choice would I make? What choice would you make?
Another one is excerpted from Liu Guangcheng's 2017 50-page short comic "Relaxation". His original comic, "Recreation," won third place in the 2014 Original Comic New Star Competition. The line "The pursuit of freedom is a biological instinct" resonated deeply with me while reading the comic. It's heartbreaking to see how people, who originally lived freely in nature, have been captured and caged by humans, at their mercy. 💔
I really like the other three, but I'll keep them a secret for now. I'll only reveal two so far, hehe 🤫
Actually, in the end, it's an honor for us to collaborate with them 🙌🏻🙌🏻 We hope everyone will support local artists; they need everyone's support 🙏🏻
To learn more about Liu Guangcheng's upbringing, his views on Hong Kong's freedom of expression, and his artistic creation, you can watch it at the following YouTube link 😎👍🏻
#artisallfromdetail
#supportlocalartist.