The Hub series
Wang YiThis is their most important series from the early stages of their career.
Inspired by classical Renaissance frescoes and glazing techniques, the artist first smooths the canvas. Using rulers and pencils, he meticulously draws basic shapes such as triangles and rhombuses, creating a seemingly endless pattern. He then applies hundreds of layers of specially created translucent paint with a soft brush. The resulting delicate color gradations give the viewer a mysterious sense of depth. The canvas, once perfectly symmetrical, gradually transforms into a random and dynamic composition. This "shift from regular order to a state of fluctuation" expresses the relationship between the structure of modern society in which we live and abstract art.
"Yadokushō" and the "Shadow" series
The title is taken from a collection of essays by Zhou Zuoren, a Chinese writer who stayed in Japan. This work is Wang Yi's recent project."Shadow" seriesIt embodies the very essence of it.
Here, the artist focuses on exploring uniquely Asian compositional compositions and color palettes. Over the past five years, this series has produced distinctive textures using a variety of mineral pigments. Large areas of color—crimson, earthy green, deep purple—blend together with the grand movements of the body, creating an indescribably emotional atmosphere, like shadows flickering in the dim light of a candle.
Furthermore, the artist incorporates elements of traditional East Asian architecture (such as low eaves and sliding doors), creating a space that feels as if you are peeking through the gaps in a lattice. In contrast to the Western painting tradition, which has emphasized light and reason, the artist cherishes the "East Asian sensibility" that finds beauty in darkness and concealment, as exemplified by Junichiro Tanizaki's "In Praise of Shadows."
"Azoth" and works of light
The resin used in this artwork was originally "waste material" (leftovers) from the artist's paints. It was collected in a bucket to be thrown away, but the artist felt a new life in these lumps. By cutting them with a machine and carefully polishing them by hand, the artist transformed them into beautiful three-dimensional objects like "amber," which seems to hold the memories of time and light.
Wang Yi incorporates authentic lighting fixtures used throughout Asian history as materials for his installations. The handmade glass neon works on display evoke the streets of Shanghai in the 1920s and 30s, a time when it flourished as a center of commerce and popular culture. The traditional Chinese butterfly motif is an homage to Shanghai's Art Deco style.
On the other hand, the 80 red light bulbs lined up on the floor represent the turbulent history of modernization in the 20th century, marked by mass production and ideology. The space, with its regularly spaced old light bulbs, is quiet yet exudes a strong energy that harbors tension and a potential danger.
