Private View: 9 September 2014, 6-9 pm
35 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EA
Christine Park Gallery is pleased to present its inaugural exhibition of new works by London-based artist Vay Hy. The Chinese artist presents a series of ink paintings which are inspired by nature and organic forms in our ever changing landscape.
After several years of silence, Hy comes back with his first solo exhibition in London. Turning to the traditional Chinese mediums of ink and paper, Hy creates a series of abstract works which draw on the power of the elements. His paintings reflect a new visual language heavily influenced by the landscapes he has found inspirational during his travels in Tibet, Vietnam, Thailand and China.
Nature is not simply an inspiration for Hy’s work but has become an integral part in its creative process. Most of the artworks were created on his studio balcony in London and subjected to the elements of the English weather. It is the combination of harnessing the effects of the natural climate together with the unorthodox use of salt and acrylic in his ink paintings which gives the artworks their unique quality. By embracing the idea of cycles within nature and incorporating these elements into the creative process, Hy’s work reflects the tension that can often be found in nature where rain, sun and wind can breathe both life and destruction to the landscape. Each piece is imbued with its own personal history as well as that of the artist in his synthesis of styles, techniques and inspirations.
The exhibition showcases six carefully selected works, sometimes unsettling, sometimes calming and often both. The different textures and forms found in the paintings refer to and echo the feelings stirred by nature itself. Composed of many layers of hidden detail, each artwork engages the viewer to meet and interact with flows of water and ink, merging with and fleeing from the acrylic colours to form a sea of various elements. In the act of observing the completed work, the viewer is instinctively drawn into the creative process. The rich compilation of layers, with spontaneous abstract tonal marks, textures, forms and structures, suggests a great sense of freedom, unpredictable energy, vibrancy, deep tranquility and chaos over space and time.
