where hard work was encouraged. I wanted to explore and celebrate
the moment in between, and promote the power of lazy.
Why do you think people struggle so much with the idea of relaxing?
I think we all struggle to find time to pause, especially with social
media being such a big part of our everyday lives. Isn’t it funny
that we even need Instagram to notify us when we’ve been using
Instagram for too long? I wouldn’t say everyone is struggling, but
a lot of us definitely are.
Do you object to the use of the word ‘laziness’? We’ve always learnt
that the word ‘lazy’ has a bad connotation, but I’m curious as to why.
To me, the word is expressing a feeling, and I believe it’s totally up
to me to decide how positive or negative I feel about using the word.
Rather than objecting to it, I would say I’m trying to ‘defend’ the
word from being used in a negative way. I hoped that after people
experienced my show they would think being lazy wasn’t so bad.
I’m essentially acting as a missionary for the Lazy religion.
How do you personally wind down and relax? I have moments where
I’m just idling, letting my mind take me where it needs to go. When
I travel, I will walk without purpose and just wander around the city.
Sometimes when I’m struggling with work, I’ll go on the swing in my
studio. I leave the bad feelings behind when I swing back, and gain
good feelings when I swing forward. It’s super-relaxing.
What’s one thing we should know about you? I like eggs.
Where can we see more of your lovely work? At charleneman.com
or on Instagram at @charlene_man.Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born in Hong Kong and grew
up in the UK. I studied illustration at the Camberwell College of
Arts in London, and have been freelancing since 2012. In late 2015,
I relocated back to Hong Kong and started self-publishing zines. Soon
after, I had my first solo exhibition, DOWN TIME, in Japan and Hong
Kong, and since then I’ve been working as a travelling illustrator.
Describe your artistic style in a sentence. I make happy images.
How did this series, DOWN TIME, come to be? I had to travel back
to the UK to help my parents move. At the time, I was thinking
about ideas for my solo show and Asia trip. While the spare room
was turned into my temporary studio, sometimes my mum would
come in and tell me, “Stop being so lazy.” I decided to make ‘lazy’
my job and the main theme for the show.
Talk us through the different works you created. I made a series
of paintings (shown here) and ceramic pieces for the show. The
paintings are inspired by Hindu art and hung in a scroll format. I used
special house paint from a shop named Colour Makes People Happy.
When I first discovered it, I knew it was perfect for me. There was also
a work called Lazy Shrine in the exhibition – an interactive installation
that showcased an offering box. Inside was a paper shredder, and
visitors had to offer their to-do list to the lazy goddess. In return,
the goddess would offer them time to be lazy.
Why did you want to create an exhibition about doing nothing at all?
I started to notice a growth of interest in meditation and mindfulness
- a contrast to my personal upbringing in a traditional Chinese family,
down time
charlene man’s art is an ode
to the idle side of life.
INTERVIEW SOPHIE KALAGASpretty pictures