Henri Matisse once explained the basic artistic point of view in his “Notes of a Painter”. He said: “What I have been dreaming of, is art of balance, purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter, which could be for every mental worker, the businessman as well as the man of letters. For example, it soothes and calms the mind, and provides relaxation like a comfortable armchair.”

Therefore, what kind of the calming art was pursued by Henri Matisse, who was the most representative artist of Fauvism? When the artist devotes himself to his art, a mysterious force could be formed during the art process, which gives us an illusion of sitting in the comfortable armchair.

The artists of New Pop exhibition are from China, Japan and Korea. We can get a glimpse of rational self-reflection, keenness and mystery from the works of Chinese artist Gong Xinru; the works of Yuki Matsudea, the Japanese artist, are breaking the conventional two-dimensional model, expressing the humor hidden in the common life through the three-dimensional way. As for Korean artist Kim Junsik, in his artworks, there’s a philosophical thinking between Eastern and Western cultural relationship depicted with vivid and remarkable painting technical skills. I believe that the viewers must be interested in these works if standing before them, and also be unwilling to tear themselves away from them. This should be the artistic expression, which makes the viewers feel like sitting in a comfortable armchair.

“New Pop” is a created word. It’s relative to the concept of the first session of political pop art in China. Political pop art appeared in the 1980s and 1990s after the long closed period of China and became the most popular art expression, which met the Western capitalist society’s curiosity of exploring unknown mystery under Chinese political form like a man being eager to lift a girl’s thin veil.

And now, the artists who were born in 1970s or 1980s begin to break away from politics, and instead, they create works with borderless concepts, humorous, profound and interesting self-reflection, but without being indifferent to social issues.

Korean fashion designer Choi Changho, who appears frequently in fashion weeks in China, Japan and Korea, is also invited to arrange a retrospective fashion exhibit in this exhibition. Showcasing the new performance of contemporary art with current fashion elements in the same space, we hope our attempts will bring you the pleasant imagination and relaxing feelings like a daydream…

Image: © Kim Jun Sik, Shun Art Gallery