Lyricist Cheng Kok-kong holds exhibition in Tai Kwun

Celebrated lyricist Cheng Kok-kong reinterprets

his timeless melodies as brush and ink works

now exhibiting at Tai Kwun in Central.

The curator hopes to introduce a new generation to

the timeless spirit of Cantopop.

To many, Cheng Kok-kong is

the very picture of scholarly grace -

a lyricist who has penned more than 2,000 songs across decades.

Now, he marries his own verses with calligraphy and painting.

“I never studied the craft of songwriting -

perhaps it was heaven's gift,

but painting has held my heart since childhood,” he says.

His words distil the very essence of life's philosophies from love songs to nursery rhymes.

Cheng's lyrics have nurtured countless souls

and shaped the tiny universes of many children -

all because he had always chosen to take the

unbeaten path.

“I could have painted flowers and birds

like my classmates, but

I choose cats and frogs instead.

In fact, I've spent my entire life

delighting in the road less travelled,” Cheng says.

The exhibition features more than 40 calligraphy and

ink-wash pieces,

offering the public a chance to 'see'

the golden era of Cantonese pop music.

Many singers who once collaborated with Cheng

have also come to revisit that shared nostalgia.

“I think it's a very challenging moment for

the creative industry in Hong Kong,

not just in the Cantopop industry,

but also in film, right,

I am born in the 80s,

so I guess for my generation,

our responsibility is really to learn from

the best in the previous generation, and

pass on the legacy onto the next generation.

I think Cantopop is one of the

most important elements in

the Hong Kong creative industry, so I think

that's really our goal to reintroduce

the Cantopop to our young audience

through this exhibition,” says the lyricist.

The exhibition is titled "Lucky Am I" -

one of Cheng's most well-loved pieces -

was it the singer's confession,

or an echo of the audiences' thoughts?

I truly feel that luck has always been on my side,

the song's lyrics read almost like

my own autobiography.

“I started out as an unknown primary school teacher,

if I have attained a modicum of renown today,

it is owing to the friends I have met,

the students that have crossed my path, and

the era that has shaped my days,” Cheung furthers.

After a decade-long interlude since his 2016 exhibition

"A Stroll in the Art Garden",

Mr. Cheng returns with a new solo exhibition

"Lucky Am I" -

now on view through the 29th of this month.