The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK), in partnership with ArtNext, presents the solo exhibition of acclaimed Chinese contemporary artist Wang Yi（王一）, “The Stars Are Not Afraid to Appear Like Fireflies”. Co-curated by Mianco Wong and Sissi Xie, it features recent works from Wang’s iconic Reflection of Shadow series alongside the new Ksana series.

 The exhibition’s title draws from Rabindranath Tagore’s Stray Birds, using “shadow” as a lens to examine how self-awareness forms through light reflections, personal experiences, and societal structures, while true existence often remains elusive. Layered, ephemeral imagery in paintings invites viewers to engage with the dynamics of “seeing and being seen”, prompting reflection on the visible and invisible, the individual and the environment.

The immersive space is designed as an abstract maze of reflective black glass and red bulbs, echoing the venue’s floor-to-ceiling windows and Hong Kong’s layered urban architecture. The red tungsten bulbs suspended in space serve as a metaphor and warning for the era we live, as visitors navigate through the installation, their reflections illuminate, refract, and overlap, heightening awareness of their existence amid forces of resistance and dissolution.

Venue address: Foundation Gallery, 1/F, Creative Humanities Hub (CR), The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hang Shin Link, Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin