Foreign artists expect to reach wider audience through ICIF

Hayley King (L) and Pierre Hadlow (R), two artists from New Zealand, pose for a photo in front of a work piece they worked together Thursday in Hall 10 of the ICIF’s main venue. Photo by Wang Jingli 

Visitors to the New Zealand pavilion in Hall 10 of the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, the main venue of the 20th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) that commenced yesterday, were immediately greeted by paintings and immersed into a world of art. These paintings were created by New Zealand artists Pierre Hadlow, known publicly as SWEATS, and Hayley King, whose stage name is FLOX.

These two artists are participating in the ICIF for the first time this year and hope that they will reach a broader audience in China. "In comparison to New Zealand, China offers a vast market, so we are eager to introduce our work to more people in China," said FLOX.

SWEATS is displaying his "Face to Face" painting collection at the pavilion, which depict various styles of faces alongside the faces of visitors. FLOX's signature motif is birds, and her collection is titled "Nature's Tapestry." FLOX has collaborated with a Chinese manufacturer to release products, like handbags, that feature her art. The two artists also collaborated on anpiece of art that blends their unique styles and core features.

This is SWEATS first trip to Shenzhen, and he finds everything about the city to be fabulous.

They arrived in the city through the Futian Checkpoint from Hong Kong. Both artists appreciated the seamless cross-border experience, noting that it was straight forward and required less time than anticipated.

Similarly, independent artist Andy Cook, from the U.K., aimed to leverage the ICIF to promote his IP creations — a series of comic monsters. Cook is displaying his work in a section of the Creators Avenue booth in Hall 10 of the main venue.

Cook kick started his career by studying 2D animation at the University of Wales, and he first began conceptualizing his IP around 15 years ago. He now runs Luohu-based CiSTM Design, and some of his IP creations have been applied to beverage containers and e-cigarettes. For Cook, this fair offers a valuable platform for artists like him to promote their businesses and explore potential collaboration prospects.