Bubble Land,
Contemporary Jewelry from Taiwan
Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h presents Bubble Land, a portrait of contemporary Taiwanese jewellery, from May 27 to July 10, 2016. This exhibition brings together, for the first time in Canada, 10 emerging artists who are members of the Bench 886 collective. Influenced by multiculturalism, as well as by their national history, background and experience, they have created works that are strong, sensitive and poetic.
Artists:
Yung-Huei Chao, Ying-Hsiu Chen, Mei-Fang Chiang, Han-Chieh Chuang, Ying-Hsun (Zita) Hsu, Heng Lee, Yu-Ping Lin, Shih-Dea (Deborah) Tseng, Cai-Xuan Wu, Wen-Miao Yeh
The lively and luminous works of Yu-Ping Lin and Heng Lee are remarkable for their visual effects, reconciling contemporary and traditional techniques. Applying concepts from Origami, Yu-Ping designed her Kaleido jewellery collection using paper, silk and fabric, which she cuts, folds and arranges in complex and colourful floral structures. In his Floral Embroidery – Pixels collection, Heng Lee uses a computer to pixelize images from nature, revealing a mosaic which he then cuts out and enhances with hand-embroidered patterns that he wants to accentuate. Also inspired by nature, Mei-Fang Chiang takes snapshots that she magnifies and then recreates in anodized aluminum.
Originally from a small island near Taiwan, Ying-Hsiu Chen finds inspiration in the sea, using methods she has developed to create jewellery that has unique organic forms, metaphors for life’s constant evolution. Similarly, Cai-Xuan Wu transforms acrylic into vibrant fluid works, which challenge our perceptions of this solid material. In re-evaluating the relationship between nature and the world that surrounds us, these artists take a sensitive—and contemporary—approach to updating nature’s imagery.
Reflection finds its source in contemplation. Inspired by the Japanese aesthetic concept of Wabi-Sabi, Ying-Hsun Hsu evokes the transformation and gradual wear-and-tear that the object undergoes. Her brooches, with their rough and imperfect forms, are altered by the addition of magnetic elements. Made of white porcelain and introspective in character, Shih-Dea Tseng’s works invite us to explore and awaken our senses.
Space, the immediate surroundings, habitat, action and interaction are universal themes. Pieces of red brick evoking memory and individual and collective history are incorporated into Han-Chieh Chuang’s jewellery. With her constructions made of stacked or nesting elements, Yung-Huei Chao suggests environments undergoing continual transformation. Wen-Miao Yeh’s sculptural and architectural brooches in white plastic are reminiscent of cherished emotions in specific moments and places.
This exhibition allows the viewer to discover the multiplicity of languages in contemporary Taiwanese jewellery. While the jewellery of Japan, South Korea and China is better known, that of Taiwan, due to the dynamism and vibrancy of its artists, currently enjoys excellent visibility on the international scene. Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h is pleased to contribute to this growing reputation.
