Group exhibition of paintings at ASTRA ART closes this Sunday

The group exhibition, "Where Does the Future Originate," is showing at ASTRA ART, an art space beside Suzhou Creek, through Sunday.

This captivating showcase features a diverse collection of paintings by 14 artists from China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Germany. Through exploring three pivotal themes — "Ancient and Modern Tunnel of Light," "Fleshly Peeks," and "Disordered Folding" — the exhibition revisits specific moments in history and contemplates the future possibilities of art.

The participating artists are Daisuke Ohba, Friedrich Einhoff, Kim Hyun Kyung, Li Shan, Martin Wehmer, Qin Yifeng, Robert Sagerman, Shi Chengdong, Sun Wenguang, Sun Yao, Yu Xuhong, Zdenck Konvalina, Zhao Yang, and Zheng Zaidong.

In the "Ancient and Modern Tunnel of Light" section, four artists delve into the art of expression across time, ranging from the curiosity of classical literature to the modern reshaping of landscapes and waterfalls.

In the oil painting "Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon," Zheng crafts a mystical landscape with a masterful gradient from earthy warmth to celestial coolness. Minimalistic in detail, the painting's fiery orange base suggests a twilight glow, with enigmatic silhouettes adding mystery. Above, the tranquil moon reigns over a vast landscape, its reflection only vaguely seen. Zheng's smooth brushwork and subtle interplay of light create a dreamlike quality.

Sagerman's "4,263" is a tactile symphony of texture and color. The work is a mesmerizing array of thick, impasto dabs of paint, each meticulously applied to create a vibrant, undulating surface that seems almost organic. There's a rhythmic quality to the composition, with the colors gradating from muted creams and tans at the top to a rich tapestry of pinks, purples, and oranges toward the bottom, reminiscent of a natural landscape or a field of blooming flowers.

His densely formed impasto paintings evolve from thousands upon tens-of-thousands of strokes meticulously made with a palette knife, the title of each work corresponding to the number of marks within.

The "Fleshly Peeks" section presents works by three artists that capture the fluctuating forms of the body as if through the changing aperture of a pupil, exploring the body both as the observer and the observed.

Take Shi’s diptych "Opposite" as an example. The work masterfully encapsulates a dialectic tension through its dual panels. The left side presents a dramatic corporeal mirage with intertwined arms and fingers, conveying complex emotions of both support and struggle. This interplay of limbs is dynamic, emblematic of the intricacies of human interaction and the inherent contradictions within.

Contrastingly, the right panel displays the arms' force and direction that seem to be breaking through the barrier, a powerful ambiguity that defies gender classification and conveys an unstoppable force.

The two pieces act as counterpoints, even mirror images, decisively split yet inherently linked. Through this visual language, the work invokes an involuntary reflection on Freud's concept of the "mirror stage," inviting viewers to ponder the introspective aspects of their own psyche as mirrored in the painting.

In the section "Disordered Folding," seven artists construct their own inner universes and spaces through the power of their imagination.

Sun Yao's oil painting "Inner Universe — Journey of The Self No.2" is a profound exploration of the abstract, where swirls of color seem to depict the tumultuous voyage of introspection. The canvas is a cosmic tempest of emotion and thought, with its central eruption of warm hues passionately breaking through the cooler, shadowy periphery, probably suggesting a powerful emergence of self-awareness.

In the works of Daisuke Ohba and Kim Hyun Kyung, there is a restrained tranquility in the background hues that makes it difficult to distinguish between the light of dawn and the glow of dusk. Both positive and negative spaces serve as sources of light, creating a poetic ambiance.

If you go:

Date: Through March 3, 10am-6pm

Address: JK1933 A104-A105, 1040 Suzhou Rd N.

北苏州路1040号