Fung to make her solo debut

Garfene Grandison, Gleaner Writer

Laura Ann Fung will be having a solo exhibition this weekend at the Grosvenor Gallery.

Fresh out of high school, Laura decided that now was the perfect time to produce an exhibit since it willl be her final year in Jamaica before heading off to college abroad.

This, she explained, would give her exposure before she spends an extended period away from the island.

"I don't want to go away and come back and no one knows me anymore. I have been doing a lot of group exhibitions so I just wanted to do something different, and a solo exhibition, I thought, would be the icing on the cake," she said.

Visions

The show will feature 15-20 of the artist's pieces. It is called 'Kalaeidoscope visions of colour' and each painting represents Fung's vision.

Fung has, without much promotion, earned a healthy repuation, having done a number of art exhibits in the United States.

Come December, she will again have a group exhibit at the Broadway Gallery in New York, owned by Abraham Lubelski, who is also owner of NY Arts magazine, in which she will also be featured.

"The main aim of the show is to show people that I am a serious artist, and not just a little girl who likes to paint and is in over her head," said Fung.

Young artists are sometimes overlooked and Fung is hoping that any publicity she earns will also bring attention to other artists, the ultimate goal being a "young art movement".

The cost of each piece reflects the time, effort and resource that goes into it. Some paintings carry a cost of $30,000, while at the other end of the spectrum the cost is $140,000.

Guest speaker at the exhibition will be Pat Ramsay, director of the Centre for the Arts at the University of Technology.

A number of art collectors have also met with Fung to get first pick of the paintings she has done.

The event is free of cost and begins at 8 p.m. at the Grosvenor Galleries, where people can come to expect young, fresh abstract to semi-abstract artwork.