Themes and Variations
June 27 – August 23, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 27th from 6-8pm
Second Reception: Thursday, August 1st from 6-8pm
We are pleased to announce the opening of Themes and Variations, featuring the work of 15 artists who explore the use of Chinese Ink within their practice. The exhibition includes work by Hung Fai, Hung Keung, Lee Chunyi, Lin Guocheng, Lok Yitong, Ren Light Pan, Tai Xiangzhou, Wesley Tongson, Wang Mengsha, Wang Tiande, Wai Pongyu, Wei Ligang, Zhang Xiaoli, Zhang Yirong, and Zheng Chongbin.
Signs and Symbols
Bird-and-flower painting is a longstanding traditional subject in Chinese art, often used as symbols of human virtues such as resilience and beauty, and even political authority. Artists Zhang Yirong and Lee Chun-yi continue this tradition, Zhang in her detailed, gongbi style of painting and Lee in a more nuanced manner with his method of stamping paper with hand-carved seals. Symbols and Iconography appear throughout China’s artistic tradition; Wei Ligang’s script recalls ancient pictograms while Lin Guocheng draws inspiration from the Three Star Mound, a majestic ancient burial site in Sichuan, China – Lin sets imagery from the site against a pixelated background, seeking a dialogue between contemporary digital world and his historical roots.
Spiritual Landscapes
Landscape, a traditional theme in Chinese ink painting, has historically focused less on realistic depiction and more on conveying spiritual resonance and reflecting the artist’s state of mind and personality. The artists in this group push this concept further, into areas of identity, as in Ren Light Pan’s ink-transfers of female clothing and Hung Fai’s Vessel, which explores the relationship between mother and son. Wesley Tongson’s Spiritual Mountain series takes its inspiration from many forms of devotion, from the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Christianity to references to the natural world, and he takes the spectacular leap from the brush to using his fingers to apply his ink. Wang Tiande’s work also eschews the brush, using of incense sticks to create burn marks on layered rice paper, to create his traditional landscapes and calligraphy. Abstract ‘landscapes’ are also included in this section. Tai Xiangzhou’s Propitious Rock from Heaven is a rumination on the Cosmos; Wai Pong Yu’s A Rhythm of Landscape series focuses on the act of creation, using a pen to draw ink lines across paper until it frays and rips. Also investigating the ink and paper medium is Zheng Chongbin, whose architectural landscapes organically result from his meticulous process of folding, painting and fusing ink and acrylic on Xuan paper.
Poetry and Painting
Poetry, calligraphy and portraying life have long been important themes in the history of literati painting. The artists in this room take different contemporary approaches to this tradition – Lok Yitong takes a visual interpretation to traditional poetry, using repetitive abstract forms that recall the rhythm of the verses, and then weaving calligraphy into the compositions. Wang Mengsha is known for her ‘Xieyi’ style of paintings, where she recontextualizes imagery from traditional paintings of court maidens and ancient scenes of everyday life. In contrast is the stoic, defined work of Zhang Xiaoli, whose Box with Multiple Openings houses the elements of wind, fire and water. Also included is a video piece and accompanying print by Hung Keung. The piece depicts mist, flowers, charcoal, and rice paper transitioning from vibrancy to decay through ink variations. The dancing Chinese characters respond to these subtle changes, suggesting the relationship between the nature and the passage of time.
Themes and Variations will be shown in two rotations, with the first on view from June 27th – July 31st, and the second from August 1st – 23rd. Please join us for the opening receptions on June 27th and August 1st, from 6-8pm.
To learn more, click here.
RECENTLY CLOSED EXHIBITION
Light, Space and Time
May 2 – June 21, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 2, 5-8pm
We are pleased to present Light, Space and Time, a group exhibition featuring the work of California-based Asian American visual artists Julie W Chang, Summer Mei-Ling Lee and Zhang Jian-Jun. Influenced by the Californian coast and the Light and Space movement, Chang, Lee and Zhang approach light and space through a different lens and additional dimension. Informed by historical-cultural perspectives, their practices add a “time” element to the works in the exhibition.
This group exhibition opened at the beginning of this month, in correlation with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May 2024. AAPI month recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States.
To learn more, click here.
RELATED PAST EVENT
Artist Talk: Christy Chan
Thursday, June 20, 2024
6-8pm (Program will begin at 6:30)
We are excited to host a special screening and artist talk by Christy Chan. Join us at the gallery to hear her speak about her recent and upcoming projects.
Christy Chan received the Creative Capital Award in 2024, and is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow in Visual Art. She creates public art projects that question the everyday power structures that uphold white supremacy in the United States. Using a combination of video, projection art, installation, performance, object design, and social practice, her projects are often participatory, city-wide platforms that aim to draw citizens from under-represented communities together to speak their truths.
Contact [email protected] for more information or with any enquiries.
ABOUT THE GALLERY
Alisan Fine Arts, a stalwart of the Hong Kong art scene since its establishment in 1981, is excited to have opened our new gallery location in New York City’s Upper East Side on November 30th, 2023. Known for its dedication to Chinese diaspora artists and contemporary Chinese ink art, we continue our legacy of bridging East and West with this exciting expansion and bringing a piece of Hong Kong’s art history to a new audience while continuing to honor the artists that have shaped our legacy.
As we open our first location in the US, the gallery is committed to working with Chinese American and other Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists, continuing our mission of promoting cross-cultural dialogue and fostering a global appreciation for diverse artistic expressions. The gallery’s New York venture provides a unique platform for showcasing the richness of Chinese diaspora artistry, with a special focus on artists who have made significant contributions to both their heritage culture and the American art scene.
The New York City location aims to bring these conversations to a broader audience and create a space where Asian art can further dialogue with international trends and movements. The gallery will be headed up by Daniel Chen, previously the director of Chambers Fine Art. “I am thrilled to be a part of this new chapter for Alisan Fine Arts,” says Chen. “This is a gallery that has been at the forefront of Asian art for over 40 years, and it’s exciting to be able to broaden its legacy here in the center of the contemporary art world.”
Co-founded in the 1980s by Alice King, Alisan Fine Arts is one of the first professionally run galleries in Hong Kong and has been a pioneer in the field of Chinese contemporary art and new ink art, in particular, focusing on promoting mainland Chinese artists as well as established Hong Kong and Chinese diaspora artists.
We currently manage three premises, one in the upper east side of New York City, one in Hong Kong’s central business district and one in Aberdeen, Hong Kong’s southside.