Finding order in the 'Chaos' of unpredictability

A joint exhibition “Chaos” featuring Chinese artist Sun Yao and German painter Doris Ernst recently kicked off at Cospace in M50 Art Park.

With images overflowing with violence, Sun’s works reveal a visual tension which is magnificent, romantic, lyrical, rich and exquisite.

The artist’s works often take on a specific thing as a starting point and grows gradually into a structure composed of a variety of strokes and textures, and culminates to present an unknown-before yet deja-vu situation.

“Wild mountains, rivers and forests are always in their untamed, natural state — the chaos I want to shuttle back in my paintings,” Sun said.

As for Ernst, rebellion against order and rationality is an important narrative in her creations.

“I actually love a certain degree of chaos and unpredictability,” Ernst said. “Knowing about my own values and understanding our human nature is important, which helps me to find optimism and hope, overcome frustration with the mechanism of power, self-centeredness and superficiality.”

On the canvas, she stacks, wipes and covers the pigments layer by layer with the help of her fingers, scrapers and knives to question and challenge the order and rationality people are accustomed to.

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the whole world, the previously unbreakable order and rhythm of life has been broken, which forces people to re-examine their own vulnerability and face original chaos both socially and personally.

Sun and Ernst embodied their exploration on the topic of “chaos” as their self-reflection on this worldwide public health crisis. Some of the 31 works on display were newly created during the pandemic.

Exhibition info

Date: Through July 5 (closed on Mondays), 10am-6pm
Venue: Cospace, M50 Art Park
Address: Room 102, Building 7, 50 Moganshan Road

Ti Gong