The gallery located in Room 112, Koerner Library presents Satyagraha (October 15th – 31st, 2009), the first Vancouver exhibition of Chinese artist Yang Shu. The word Satyagraha is a synthesis of the Sanskrit words Satya (truth) and Agraha (holding firmly to). It is a philosophy and practice of nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. For Gandhi, these two words linked together serve as a synonym for force, a united front representing truth and love. With that said, this exhibition presents Shu’s recent series of painting and paper collage works. These new works exude a forcefully raw and spontaneous visual power. His canvasses are crowded with superimposed scrawling, multiple layers of colour, abstract figures, and Chinese script. His impulsive brushstrokes and broken images walk a line between freedom and restraint. Yang Shu’s new works are explosive and provocative yet offer a subtle simplicity.
Since the early 1980s Shu has developed an extensive painting and installation based practice, showing extensively throughout China, and internationally (Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, New York, Sydney), including the iconic China/Avant-Garde Art exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in 1989. In excess of his individual artistic success, Shu is also a professor at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and coordinates an independent artist-run space called Organhaus, both located in Huang Jiaoping.
Join us Thursday October 15th, 2009 from 4 – 7pm for the opening reception of Satyagraha, the artist will be in attendance.
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday noon-4pm
