Entry 1: Light of Love - Devendra Dhakad

Acrylic on Canvas

21.5 inches X 17.5 inches

Description:

To an outsider, Hong Kong offers probably the starkest contrast between the haves and the have nots. On one side there are affluent people surrounded by glittering high rises and a world class lifestyle and on the other side, there are aspiring people who struggle a lot just to get food on the table. In order to understand this disparity, the artist visited many areas and found that the most common characteristic among all those who aspire prosperity, is their sense of companionship, hard work and dignity of labour. Irrespective of how their current living conditions might be, they find their light through the love & affection of community.

In this artwork, the artist has shown the two sides of the coin. On one side, there is a beautifully lit up skyline and on the other side, there is a small construction site which is serving as a temporary shelter for a family of three. The mother and two kids. The small lamp in their hut is comparable to all the lights combined from the buildings in the skyline. That light in their hut signifies the love and affection of the mother to her kids, her hope that one day, she would see her kids on the other side. This light of love is enough to eliminate the darkness and show them the way.