Exhibition: Joyful Wandering in the Arts: Professor Lo Wai Luen (Xiao Si)’s Collection of Cherished Objects
Professor Lo Wai-luen (Xiao Si) has dedicated her life to collecting documents of Hong Kong literature and culture, describing herself as a “brick maker” in the field of literary history. These “bricks” of culture and history are solid, well-researched, and ingeniously crafted, thanks to Xiao Si’s deep affection for ordinary things in everyday life and her meticulous observations. “Wandering in the Arts” reveals a different side to Professor Lo the scholar, as it showcases her roaming among various interests and her playful curiosity for objects and crafts.
From the various theatre tickets, programmes of cultural events, and publications for young readers collected during her adolescent years, one can see her passion for organising and discovering. Her assortment of miniature books and figures of “sleeping cats”, which are integrated into models of ideal, cosy reading rooms. Posters inspired by Chinese woodblock prints and models of alleyway shops, which evoke her reflections on Japanese influences. Peanuts comics and Coca-Cola memorabilia, capturing traces of American culture and lifestyle in the 1960s. Hong Kong household items, everyday objects, and miniature models of classic snacks that carry Xiao Si’s gaze on people’s lives and the world, as they are sources of her many stories about Hong Kong.
The exhibits in this exhibition are mostly not valuable in terms of monetary worth, but rather aim to allow visitors to feel and imagine the connection between objects and people. It brings them to the world of Xiao Si’s warm and heartfelt prose, and to the scholarly spirit of Professor Lo Wai-luen that is characterised by her keen observation, tireless pursuit, and generosity in sharing.
【Exhibition details】
Date: 7 July 2025 – 28 February 2026
Venue: Hong Kong Literature Collection Hub, 1/F University Library, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Organizers: The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library and Hong Kong Literature Research Centre
Guided tours will be arranged for groups of at least 10 people. Please send email to spc@lib.cuhk.edu.hk with detailed information, including date and time of visit and number of visitors.
