Auspicious Omens and the Science of Surprises
Transformation is a state of marked change. It implies metamorphoses across form, structure, substance and scale: from intimate shifts to colossal processes across time. It has been subjected to many modes of inquiry, from philosophical traditions of thought to scientific theory. Every phase of positive or negative change eventually finds its place in the unfolding of the world.
This exhibition gathers the works of Taiwanese painter Yang Ding Xian, who reflects on these moments of transformation by using integrating traditional Chinese painting techniques, forms and sensibilities with contemporary media. The paintings and installations, produced between 2007 and 2017, offer a retrospective look at his practice over the decade: attesting to his process of introspective investigation, technical adeptness and the expanse of imagination driving his spirit.
The works are auspicious omens, integrating the visual culture of both Eastern tradition and global modernity. One encounters butterflies in flight—symbols appearing in ancient paintings and modern scientific visualizations. Wings form intricate patterns, evoking the universe and beyond. Blooming plants, landscapes and mountains emerge from simple configurations of strokes and hues. Worlds are created by lines and words: from primordial acts of wielding the brush, seen in calligraphic scripts and oriental painting techniques. Mandalas are reinvented through technology, allowing light to respond to the stirrings of the human voice.
These visions and surprises offer quiet epiphanies on what the past and present holds in store. Concluding with a gesture of affinity between Taiwan and Manila, Yang Ding Xian creates an interface between tradition and contemporaneity, technology and introspection, resilience and hope.
You can view Yang Ding-Xian’s work in the Main Gallery (1st floor) and in the Cone Room (3rd floor) until January 19, 2018.
For more information about Yang Ding-Xian, you can visit his website www.yangdingxian.com
