Courtesy of Villepin
Courtesy of Villepin
Built in 1844 as the only second paved street in colonial Hong Kong, Hollywood Road actually predates the glitzy Los Angeles enclave that shares its name. In 2024, Time Out Magazine ranked it No. 2 on its list of the coolest streets in the world. Long-regarded as the former Crown Colony’s corridor for art, antiques, and curiosities, the stretch from the 19th-century Man-Mo Temple to the revitalized Tai Kwun complex that now hosts cutting edge contemporary art, Hollywood Road thrums 24/7 with its mix of boutiques, bars, restaurants, and yes, the occasional gallery and antique shop.
Within this constant buzz, Villepin, the gallery founded in 2019 by Dominique and Arthur de Villepin at the corner of Hollywood Road and Graham Street, has quietly recalibrated its focus toward what they have called “a collectors approach.” Guided by its mission of creating artists’ legacies through collection management, Villepin offers what it describes as the first end-to-end solution for the Asian market, citing a dedication to support collectors in shaping meaningful, lasting relationships with art. Earlier this year, Rishika Assomull, formerly with Sotheby’s, came in as Senior Director. Her expertise in Southeast Asian art signals the gallery’s intent to strengthen an already respected program, expanding ties to collectors and institutions across the region, including the Philippines.
Oil on canvas 72.7 x 54 cm. Courtesy of Villepin
Worlds Within: Art As Refuge, the gallery’s current exhibition, underlines this new direction. Villepin has gained attention for its ambitious installations, displaying no qualms about tearing down walls and reconfiguring its interiors for each exhibit. Currently reimagined as a luxurious living space, this show brings together four Asian artists: Fernando Zobel, Le Phô, Zao Wou-Ki, and Kang Myonghi. For the first two, the Spanish-Filipino Zobel, and the Vietnamese-born Le Phô, the exhibit marks a landmark show of their works in Hong Kong. It is the first time that Zobel’s work features in an exhibition in the city, while also presenting pieces from all eras of Le Phô’s career, spanning its full arc.
“Both Lê Phổ and Zóbel are celebrated as icons of Southeast Asian modernism, yet their practices offer a nuanced, transcultural vision that is increasingly resonating with collectors, institutions, and art enthusiasts alike. By juxtaposing their aesthetic vernaculars with the delicate, pensive vistas of Kang Myonghi and the illuminated abstractions of Zao Wou-Ki, we reveal how these four artists were shaped by their fluid identities and diverse artistic traditions across Asia, Europe, and the United States. We are committed to amplifying such voices, artists who move between worlds, and in doing so, help us better understand our own,” states Assomull.
The five canvases from Zobel are all early works, predating the inauguration of the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, the museum of Spanish abstract art that the artist founded in Cuenca, Spain, in 1966. Collectors have cited these pieces as beautiful examples of his Saeta and Serie Negra series. Running concurrently with Fernando Zobel: Order is Essential at the National Gallery Singapore, the Hong Kong exhibit signals the rising global stature of the artist. In 2022, the Prado mounted Zobel: The Future is the Past, a remarkable survey of his work and private papers paired with the Old Masters from the museum’s own collection that inspired them. The Ayala Museum expanded and remounted this show in Manila last year.
“This exhibition reflects something deeply personal for us at Villepin: how art can become a compass when everything around us feels uncertain,” says Arthur de Villepin, the gallery’s founder. That art can provide both refuge and constancy feels especially fitting, given the gallery’s location. Throughout its shifting history, Hollywood Road has seen cultural institutions and artistic spaces come and go. Yet, they have never fully disappeared; others always rise to take their place. This enduring presence keeps the street anchored to Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic life.
Worlds Within: Art As A Refuge runs until 31 August 2025 at Villepin Gallery, 53 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.
