Rossi & Rossi is proud to present the works of Hong Kong artist Ha Bik Chuen (1925-2009) at Frieze Masters 2025. The presentation will place a spotlight on Ha's collagraphic practice, showcasing a selection of early collagraphs together with the plates that the artist called the "motherboards".

Ha was a self-taught Hong Kong artist renowned for his diverse artistic practices, including sculpture, printmaking, photography, and collage. Born in Xinhui, Guangdong Province, China, he relocated to Hong Kong in 1957, embarking on a prolific artistic journey that significantly contributed to the region's art scene. Initially focusing on collagraphy, paper relief, and sculpture, Ha's early works often featured natural elements such as leaves, the sun, and the moon, rendered in earthy tones like ochre, browns, greens, and reds.

In the 1960s and early 70s, Ha and his family sustained themselves by manufacturing paper flowers and other crafts. Despite financial challenges, Ha remained dedicated to his art, and his perseverance eventually paid off—he became a full-time artist, sustaining himself primarily through the sale of his collagraphic prints.

Between 1974 and 2002, Ha Bik Chuen created over 3,000 editioned collagraphs using more than 150 collagraphic plates. These collagraphs, relief prints made by pressing layers of paper onto mixed media wooden boards, featured raised or depressed surfaces that transferred images onto paper. During the 1970s and 1980s, Ha’s most active period, his works were distributed locally and internationally. His collagraphs were gifted to fellow artists, collected by museums, submitted to international print biennales, and sold across Asia, Europe, and America.

Ha referred to his collagraph plates as “motherboards” (母版), a term he coined in Chinese. These motherboards were entirely analogue and meticulously handmade from wood. They combined textures and negative spaces, manipulating fabric, paper, and other found materials. Both tools for printmaking and relief sculptures, the motherboards were kept hidden during Ha’s lifetime, stored in a dedicated room within his Thinking Studio.

Ha’s motherboards remained undocumented until recent studies. Recently, institutions such as M+, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, and the Macau Museum of Art have acquired his works. The recent exhibition at Para Site Hong Kong, Reframing Strangeness, further solidifies the importance of Ha’s motherboards not only as tools of his craft but as enduring symbols of his innovative artistry and craftsmanship, ensuring his contributions to printmaking are preserved for future generations.