Yan Kai’s artwork revealed his interest in the changes of substance itself as well as the cultural contents and their internal relationship generated in substance in a long time. With this he “represented what he perceived: the transformation of time and space, the relationship between substance and spirit, the unity between the macro and the micro, as well as the alternation between life and death.”

In this solo exhibition, Yan Kai launched brand new exploration in form of his artwork. Started from different forms represented in substance, he found tea, a factor born in oriental context, as the medium in his creation. With special process, he made different kinds of tea into medium for painting. The content he depicted were originally existing in special or multiple spaces and time which are also changing them; these objects, texts and scenes are extracted from their original context and showed in pictures through combination of different contents or juxtaposition of things of same type. The internal logic and potential association generated between them became the content described and transmitted in his paintings.

“Taste the Color of Substance” is the first solo exhibition of Mizuma & One Gallery in 2013, which is also our first show after our space moved from Beijing Caochangdi Art District to 797 Mid Street in Beijing 798 Art District. We select to open this exhibition on 26th April in memory of the 5 year anniversary of Mizuma & One Gallery establishment. With this chance, we will attract varied expression forms of art and keep on discover and bring up Chinese young artists.

Image: © Yan Kai, Mizuma & One Gallery