Francis W L YU, Dr

Francis Yu Wai Luen received his BFA in Visual Arts from York University, Toronto, an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London, and a PhD in Theory and Practice of Painting at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. Yu is now an Associate Professor at the Academy of Visual Arts of the Hong Kong Baptist University. 

Yu has been undertaking a series of research projects which examine his conception of ‘Total painting’. He works with painting as both a medium and a practice, acknowledging its inherent qualities and attempting to expand its boundaries. He takes an interdisciplinary approach, developing his paintings through the synthesis of different art forms, and working with texts, images, objects and spaces in a continual interrogation of the painting process. 

Yu has been exploring how art practice constitutes research. The art projects carrying out as practice-based research and practice-led research have secured funding support from different external and internal grants.

• 'The Interdisciplinary of Drawing', HKBU Faculty Niche Research Area grant, 2021-
• 'Drawing as the Core', Hong Kong Arts Development Council institutional project grant, 2019-2021
• 'Painting + Ceramics, Having one's Hand Follows One's Heart', Burger Collection, 2019
• 'Borrowed People - A Comparative Study of Contemporary Art in Three Chinese Cities', UGC GRF, 2014-2017
• 'The Performativity of Painting', Hong Kong Arts Development Council project grant, 2015-2017
• 'An Integrated Approach for Painting and Ceramics', HKBU FRG II, 2014-2016
• 'The Interrelationship of Painting and Photography', HKBU FRG I, 2011-12
• 'Strolling on the Water, Exhibition of Hong Kong Artists in Hangzhou', Home Affairs Bureau Art Development Fund, 2011

During the past two decades, his creative outputs have been featured in eleven solo exhibitions and more than fifty group exhibitions.

      Solo exhibitions

• 'Creations & Recreations', Lumenvisum, HK, 2021
• 'Parallel World', PMQ, HK, 2020
• 'Eat & Drink & Fun', Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taipei, 2017
• 'Between the Tastes', Unit Gallery, HK, 2016
• 'Falling', Black Box Theatre & Front/side Gallery, JCCAC, HK, 2014
• 'Close to Poem, Close to Song', am space, HK, 2013
• 'Object to Affection', A-lift Gallery, Shengzhen, 2013
• 'The Marriage of 2P', Lumenvisum, HK, 2012
• 'The Presence of Words', Gossard building, RMIT University, Melbourne, 2007
• 'Language is Form', Grotto Fine Art, HK, 2003
• 'Visual, Verbal, and Body Languages', 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, HK, 2002
• 'Recent Works', Mary Ogilvie Gallery, Oxford, 2000
• 'Garbage Cans', Connoisseur Art Gallery, Toronto, 1994

      Group exhibitions (selected)

• 'Transmission/Transmutation - Seven HK Teaching Artists', Grotto SKW, HK, 2022
• 'Unscheduled 2021', Karin Weber Gallery, Asian Standard Tower, HK, 2021
• 'AVA Print Club', AVA Gallery, 2021
• 'XX Exhibition Hong Kong Art School" Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2020
• 'Beside Painting', AVA Gallery, HK, 2020
• ‘Underline’, Wolfart Projectspace, Rotterdam, 2019
• ‘Due Ends-Part 2’, Pottery Workshop, Dali International Photo Festival, Yunnan, 2019
• ‘In Search of the Body In-situ’, Blank Space Studio, Participatory Theatre Project, HK, 2018
• ‘Broccoli Painting Week’, Market Museum, IMN49 Centre Street Market, HK, 2018
• ‘Due Ends-Part 1’, Lumenvisum, HK, 2018
• ‘The Crossing between East and West’, Cattle Depot Artist Village, HK, 2018
• ‘Some Interference’, Cattle Depot On & On Theater, HK, 2017
• ‘Composing Stories with Fragments of Time’, Karin Weber Gallery, HK, 2017
• ‘Black and Dark’, START art fair, Saatchi Gallery, London, 2016
• ‘Penetration and Reconstruction’, New Who Art Museum, Shenzhen, 2015
• ‘Gaze of Sins’, CVA gallery, HK, 2015
• ‘His Silent Disorder’, Carol Lee Studio, Chai Wan Mei Festival, HK, 2015
• ‘Melting Pot’, CMC Gallery, City University of Hong Kong, HK, 2013
• ‘Form, Colour, Line – Contemporary Hong Kong Painting’, CVA Gallery, HK, 2012
• ‘Hong Kong and A World’, Liu Hai Su Museum, Shanghai, 2012
• ‘Dialogue: an ART exchange meeting’, Leo Gallery, Shanghai, 2012
• ‘Cityzening’, Vargas Museum, University of Philippines, Manila, 2012
• ‘Strolling on the Water’, Westlake Museum of Contemporary Art, Hangzhou, 2011
• ‘Imaging Images’, L1 Gallery, JCCAC, HK, 2011
• ‘Asian Spirit’, Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery, Mongolian, 2010
• ‘21 Days’, AVA Gallery, HK, 2009
• ‘HKAC 30th Anniversary Exhibition’, Hong Kong Arts Centre, HK, 2008
• ‘October Contemporary’, 1aSpace, HK, 2007
• ‘HK Union of Visual Artists’, University Museum & Art Gallery, HK, 2005
• ‘Asian International Art Exhibition’, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan, 2004
• ‘In Touch with Visual Arts’, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, HK, 2004
• ‘Mapping Asia’, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, HK, 2003
• ‘Embracing the New Century’, China National Museum of Fine Arts, Beijing, 2003
• ‘Asian Int’l Art Exhibition’, Daejeon Municipal Museum of Art, Korea, 2002
• ‘The Asian Multicultural Value’, Guangdong Museum of Art, China, 2001
• ‘Killing Time’, Propeller Centre for Visual Arts, Toronto, 2001
• ‘Hong Kong Art Biennial’, Hong Kong Museum of Art, HK, 2001
• ‘Towards 2000, Towards Paris’, UNESCO Headquarter, Paris, 2000
• ‘Artlink@Sotheby’s International Young Art’, Chicago & Tel-Aviv & Vienna, 2000