BU XI – Paintings and Installation by Wu Yang

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Wu Yang, “Please Don’t Notice Me,” 2022

oil on canvas, 36 x 30 inches (courtesy of the artist)

Opening Reception: November 26, 2024, 6-9pm

Lipont Gallery is thrilled to showcase BU XI – Paintings and Installation by Wu Yang, a compelling exhibition of new works by Wu Yang. This unique display features a series of paintings alongside three intricate installations, crafted during a reflective three-year period through the pandemic. These pieces delve deeply into Wu Yang's introspective view on human nature and her exploration of female identity.

Wu Yang, a multifaceted artist whose career spans several decades and continents, first emerged from the prestigious Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts in 1988. Following a tenure in academia, she ventured to the UK in 1991 to study fashion design, later applying her skills at a fashion company. In 2000, Wu Yang returned to teaching at Renmin University of China's School of Art, focusing on picture books and illustrations. Her move to Canada in 2006 marked a pivotal shift towards painting, leading to exhibitions across Canada and internationally.

In BU XI, Wu Yang's fascination with fabric—a material she perceives as embodying the virtues of softness, security, beauty, and warmth—resonates throughout her work. This exhibition weaves together themes of strength and vulnerability, juxtaposing hard stones with delicate lace fabric, and vibrant human forms entwined in floral motifs, encapsulated within stone. Through these contrasts, Wu Yang navigates her personal inquiries into identity, the elusive nature of memory, and the overlap between reality and illusion.

The title BU XI originates from a phrase in the Tao Te Ching, translating to "no traveling" or "no leaving," signifying a state of complete contentment with one's life, requiring no change—a utopian ideal explored by Laozi and a concept that deeply influenced Wu Yang's creative process during her times of anxiety within the pandemic.