A Retrospective in Color, by Mercedes Ng

Opening reception for A Retrospective in Color, by Mercedes Ng. Exhibit runs from May 30–July 10.

Artist's Statement

Mercedes Ng is a Hong-Kong born paintress who is interested in portraying places and objects that she grew up seeing—things that helped make up her personality and identity. With an immigrant background, she understands how easily a life can be reduced to a document and label. In response, she chooses color as her language. Color carries what documents cannot: lived experiences and human emotions. On the canvas, color becomes resistance and refuge at once.

Through painting, she claims a space of complete control; a world that answers only to her, where possibility feels endless. A Retrospective in Color gathers her paintings of architecture and city life, from her travels but especially from Hong Kong. She has always been drawn to buildings and dense urban landscapes. To her, they feel protective and steady, almost like quiet watchful guardians.

When she was younger, she was encouraged to become an architect, though her heart wasn’t fully in it. Painting cityscapes became her middle ground—a way to compromise while still following her love for painting. She began painting Hong Kong during a college assignment that asked her to create a series of works. At first, she didn’t think that images of her home would matter much in a Western setting or to a Western audience. But through that project, she realized how deeply meaningful they were to her. Since then, she has continued to paint Hong Kong, returning to it again and again as an anchor when she doesn’t know what to paint next.

Artist's Bio

Mercedes Ng is an oil paintress who lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah. Born and raised in Hong Kong, her vibrant and cheerful paintings pay special tribute to her childhood and upbringing. Her work often features cityscapes, still lifes, and everyday scenes of people quietly going about their lives.

Mercedes studied at the University of Utah and later graduated with her Bachelor of Arts at Brigham Young University in 2020. She has been selected as a grant recipient for programs including the “New Beehive” project and the Artist Career Empowerment Grant from the Salt Lake City Arts Council. In 2023, she completed an art residency at Studio Kura in Fukuoka, Japan.

More info: mercedesng.com / @mercedesng_art

• Age group: All Ages
• Event type: Exhibits; Arts & Creativity