Adrian Mok, ‘Rest in Rest out’ 2022. Chinese ink and spray paint on joined Chinese newspaper, Chinese ink on found 紅藍白袋 (red-blue-white nylon canvas bag) primed with transparent watercolour ground, cardboard, sleeping bag, two-channel Bluetooth audio. Dimensions variable. Image courtesy: the artist.

Artist statement

Rest in Rest out is an expanded drawing installation that explores the lives of Hong Kong McRefugees – vagrants who stay overnight at a 24-hour McDonald’s. The artwork depicts the social spaces they may occupy through Chinese calligraphy and ink drawings. Text with accompanying illustrations that chronicles the backstories of eight fictional McRefugees covers each red-blue-white bag – an item synonymous with Hong Kong’s disposed population, while pseudo-Chinese characters scrawled over joined newspaper resemble homeless floor spread.

Follow Adrian on Instagram @art.runningamok

Acknowledgement of Country

UNSW School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.

We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.