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A Journey Far from Home

galerie nichido Taipei is pleased to present “A Journey Far from Home”, a group show featuring 3 artists: Lo Yi-Chun, Liu Chih-Hung, and Tawan Wattuya. By showing the works the artists created during their residency programs, or in occasion of personal travels, the exhibition explores the different ways they interpret their journey, as well as how they have come to seek their roots and sense of belonging by being away.

Deeply interested in ecological issues, Lo Yi-Chun (b.1985) uses bananas as the central theme in her art. Through researches and comparison with her native land, she explores the representations and history this familiar fruit has come to possess since the advent of modern agriculture, and its subsequent trade between many countries around the world. Lo came to universalize this modern phenomenon through her creations in an attempt to interpret the nature of human activities that give rise to current issues people may not take notice of. In this group show, she presents Voyage to the Homeland, a series created during her residency in Aomori, Japan in 2015, which portrays the relationship between the history of migration and the political powers, as well as addressing the macroscopic and microscopic interpretations of the fruit itself.

Liu Chih-Hung`s (b.1985) works focus on life experiences and memories. He constantly observes and reflects on daily life, and with his sensitivity, is able to further extract and redefine his emotions into visible, resonant art forms, rearranging them into poetic narratives. Chih-Hung often used low-tone colors during his student years, reflecting the mind of a sentimental soul. However, since he started to explore and create his works abroad, not only have bright colors and new materials/methods leaped into his artistry, but also the many journeys have allowed the artist to gain a broader perspective of his own being in relation to the world. For this exhibition, Chih-Hung presents a body of works made during his stay in Australia, as well as new paintings inspired from night tours around the Yangming Mountain. The works finely demonstrate how the artist continues to self-contemplate and measure within the distance between reality and aesthetical experience.

Tawan Wattuya (b.1974) is best known for his unique approach to watercolor and thought-provoking subjects. His choice of watercolor medium is a clear attempt to convey the speed and dynamism he feels in contemporary Thai society. He has consciously chosen to view his homeland from a distance, studying the social and political situation from afar in order to explore more in depth and understand both his hometown and the different places he encounters. Whether portraying the glittering terra cotta warriors and edgy, model-like women soldiers from China, or making sketches of the young and old people he met in Okinawa, it is clear that Wattuya’s paintings are always poetic, personal, but nevertheless provocative in terms of his critical engagement with current issues.

galerie nichido Taipei would like to cordially invite you to this group exhibition, where you will likely trace the routes of the three artists, exploring the twists and turns of their journey, and hopefully, along the way, feel at home.