Chang Yoong Chia: Body of Water

Feb.5 - 28, 2016

 

  Art-U room is pleased to present the gallery’s first solo exhibition by Malaysian visual artist Chang Yoong Chia.

 

  Entitled "Body of Water", the exhibition consists of seventeen new works—sixteen oil paintings and one sculpture using driftwood. Employing an allegorical style, Chang depicts a variety of topics, ranging from his memories and childhood fantasies to topics related to Malaysian history and current affairs. Closer inspection reveals that the works all share a connection with water. Viewers are invited to join in an imaginary journey involving a body of water that changes its form as it moves from location to location. Leading the way, the water transforms its appearance as it circulates and permeates different places—becoming the ocean that the artist's ancestors crossed when they migrated to Malaysia, or the rivers and waterfalls flowing through primeval inland forest, or the squalls and humidity that are unique to tropical regions.

 

  Chang's past works include ‘Quilt of the Dead’ (2002~ongoing), in which he mourns for complete strangers found in newspaper obituary columns by embroidering portraits of the deceased onto pieces of cotton with the goal of creating a quilt, and his ‘Immortal Beloved’ series (2012~2013), which employs collages made of postage stamps in order to trace the lives of ordinary people who lived in the past. By shining light on such unsung individuals, these works give a sense of Chang’s stance, reexamining the significance and ambiguity of historical events by reconstructing their narratives through an excavation of fragments of memories from people who had been buried by the shadow of the larger narrative of history. Chang was born in the multiethnic nation of Malaysia as a member of the Chinese diaspora, and this process may also incorporate the story of his search for his own identity. 

 

 

■ Chang Yoong Chia

  Born in Kuala Lumpur in 1975. Graduated from Malaysian Institute of Art in 1996 (Diploma in Fine Art. Major in Painting). Currently lives and works in Kuala Lumpur. He recently exhibited in ‘APB Signature Art Prize Finalist Exhibition 2011’ (2011, Singapore Art Museum), ‘The Botany of Desire’ (2012, solo exhibition at 1Shanthiroad Studio, Bangalore, India), ‘Immortal Beloved’ (2013, solo exhibition at Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), ‘OPEN SEA’ (2015, Musée d’art Contemporain de Lyon, France) and other exhibitions. In Japan, Chang showed his works in ‘The 3rd Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale’ (2005, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum) and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ (2013, Yokohama Museum of Art and Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto), and participated in Residency programs at S-AIR (2008, Sapporo) and wanakio (2008, Naha). 

 

Artist’s website:

http://www.changyoongchia.net/

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● Date:  Feb.5 - 28, 2016

     Opening hours:  Tue.-Sat. 12:00-19:00. Sun.12:00-17:00. / closed on Mon. & National holidays

● Opening reception on Feb.5, 18:00-20:30

 

■ Supported by Richard Koh Fine Art

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[ Press Release (PDF) ]