The Year of the Dragon arrives with the wind, blowing away the weariness accumulated on our shoulders. We reorganize our steps, embarking on a journey to explore new aspects of ourselves. The path may twist and turn, but amidst the shadows of willows and the brightness of flowers, there are always a few villages. The road ahead might be shrouded in darkness, yet light occasionally filters through the gaps.
And the direction from which the light enters is where the "Dragon" resides.
So, what is the "Dragon"?
Is it riding the clouds, possessing vast magical powers?
Does it appear at the dawn of the day, faintly visible among the trees?
Is it sitting amongst the clouds, leisurely and carefree?
Or is it...
Lurking in this urban jungle, waiting for you to seek it out?
Introduction-Nature and art journey
When we step into this constructed wilderness exhibition space, we are welcomed by four young artists who use their unique creative methods to give us an endless journey of discovery.
Liu Yichao uses the interweaving of light and color to show his painting world, triggering thoughts on the boundaries between reality and fantasy; Zhao Lin uses unique style and expression techniques to explore the integration and division of human nature and nature, revealing the complexity and diversity of life. ; Zhihao treats dust as an element of the universe and creates cosmic landscapes through mixed-material paintings, evoking thoughts on the origin and essence of the universe.
The artists' works imply the all-encompassing nature of the deep forest, which is an unexpected but not unexpected presence in this pursuit. The ancient method of picking incense is used as a clue to explore and move forward, and it is interactively integrated with the artistic presentation in the space, colliding with the horizon of hope in this journey.
Chapter 1 -- ‘Dark Sometimes’ from Liu Yichao
I set off with the team and entered the boundless deep forest.
I walked through water-soaked areas
Wet meadow
Passing by the windy and handsome horse
Walk to the flowing river
I also saw a snake
It lets me walk with it to the land
Go all the way to the black dirt
In his creation, Liu Yichao repeatedly adjusts painting factors such as the cold, warm, brightness and purity of colors in his paintings to create a warm and perceptible vision. His creative themes are free and wide-ranging, and basically use light as a clue. His works depict the discoveries and experiences in personal life. Thoughts, emotions and states record the bits and pieces of ordinary daily life and the memories of the era, and place the traces of real life in the works.
He said: “My mood becomes happy when I see pictures with good texture, so I pay more attention to factors such as color, warmth and warmth, and brushstrokes in paintings. Among them, color is the main thinking in my creation, and my creation revolves around this pursuit. In creation , a lot of time is spent on adjusting color saturation and brightness, and creating light effects through color matching. Light is the first phenomenon in this world, showing us the spirit and living soul of the world through color. I hope to create through painting Bright and brilliant moments, the creative process is like admiring the wonderful vision in the sun in the shadow."
During the creative process, Liu Yichao decomposes objects into different color gamuts and color values, and then recombines them. This unique creative technique gives his works a dreamlike atmosphere, with fuzzy and hazy colors intertwined and blended, as if he is looking for a trace of tranquility and tranquility in a noisy and chaotic world.
Chapter 2 -- ‘Future Light’ from Zhao Lin
I looked at the sky without taking my eyes offAs if at the bottom of a deserted abyss
Stones are sometimes in the air
sometimes on the ground
wandering in freedom
It's like everything is flowing above my head
On a well-traveled path
I travel through overlapping and fused souls
Follow the hidden guidelines here
Zhao Lin's works use ceramic sculptures to continuously focus on the relationship between people and things, people and the environment, and nature. Through thinking about the nature of things and nature, they reflect on the relationships between people, people and animals, and people and nature, and confirm that people are in the universe. Heaven and earth, their position in nature.
Zhao Lin said: "Everyone has a very unique personality and should be respected. Creation is a spontaneity, and you just make it when you suddenly think of it. What my works can represent is the feeling when creating: yearning Want freedom. Reality is full of constraints. You cannot fly by yourself like a bird, nor can you be as free as a cloud."
His creations use whimsical ideas that transcend reality, a free spirit of play, and techniques such as exaggeration, deformation, personification, metaphor, and absurdity to create a series of strange and cute animal image works, giving people a refreshing aesthetic. Feel. In these works, which are full of poetic humor and light-heartedness, they are separated between animals and humans, and it is difficult to tell whether it is the humanity of animals or the bestiality of humans. This change of perspective reveals the complexity and diversity of life.
Chapter 3 -- ‘Now We Konw’ from Zhihao
When I got here I saw the sun rising above the horizonLight brings the revival of the EastThe song that opens up all thingsGolden light spreads to the earthDoes it grow in a cave deep in the forest?Or on the edge of the cliff high in the cloudsBut I seem to smell the soul floating in the injured treesSo I calledThe response seems to come, infinitely extendedThe eyes dwell in the eternal gods
Zhihao creates cosmic landscapes through mixed-material paintings, evoking thoughts on the origin and nature of the universe. He cleverly uses cement and sand from the mountains and rivers, combined with painting materials, to transform them into profoundly meaningful landscape images.
Zhihao not only reinterprets tradition, but also displays his "new literati" ideas in modern language. His works express the continuous transformation and backlash of modern civilization on the natural landscape, in order to arouse people's attention and reflection on the relationship between nature and civilization. The impact of modern civilization on the natural landscape and how we can live in harmony with nature.
Chapter 4 -- ‘Looking for Chen’ from Tanxiaoyan
It is not easy to find fragrance. The shape of the dragon swims throughout the building, breaking through the walls and coming out. It is sharp and soft, accompanying and protecting those who are searching for fragrance.
"Chen" has the same pronunciation as "God" in Cantonese. Treasure hunting is also about searching for "the god in your heart"
Cycad leaves are a very sharp plant, very aggressive but also able to create soft curves, a lovely contradiction. With its company, you will feel more protected and safe during your journey.
Tanxiaoyan：
Winter passes and spring comes, the old and the new alternate. Before the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, I received an invitation for an exhibition. The exhibition "Looking for Chen" tells the story of people in the old days who went on the road alone, climbed mountains and waded in rivers, and faced many dangers to explore and hunt for treasures in nature in order to find agarwood. It is the process of discovering nature, respecting nature, and finding oneself.
On the way to treasure hunting, if you have someone to accompany you, you won’t be so scared.” With this idea in mind, I designed a huge, winding, and looming dragon in this space. It shuttles through this century-old building. In the middle, it has a sharp appearance but a soft figure, like a god possessed, accompanying the visitors across the swamp and through the stone forest, exploring all the way and finally finding the treasure.
If I could choose a more specific adjective for God, I think it would be courage.
The end of the year and into the New Year is a time to pray, give thanks, and look to the future. As a New Year gift, I hope this set of works can bring encouragement and courage to everyone, and also record our short stay in Shamian.
With this courage, continue to set off, singing and walking.
End
What are we looking for here?A creation of the God of Nature.Where to find it?I don't know either.So will we never find it?We will find it.
