by Don Gallery Location: Don Gallery
Artist(s): ZHANG Yunyao
Date: 24 Oct - 17 Nov 2013
Tartan, felt, rain drop, charcoal and gloom… all these seem unrelated but compose the solo exhibition of Zhang Yunyao, the 2013 Glenfiddich in-residence artist. The unpredictable weather, sparsely populated lands, as well as the whiskey distillery surrounded by valleys, tell out the glamour of a secret Scotland – which is also reflected in these on-felt paintings by the artist.
These felt paintings are the artist’s new explorations of texture and aesthetics. Felt is more like a kind of taxtile fabric rather than the traditional painting materials such as linen or canvas. However, as the new material for painting, it integrates the textile images harmoniously through realistic skills. The color and space are extracted; the unique texture left.
The fusion of different painting elements represent the artist’s understanding and insist of his own aesthetic, while the creative use of new materials richens the narrativity of two-dimensional art works. Materials such as the charcoal are mixed in the coarse texture of the felt to present a hazy and suede-like effect. It brings the malt aroma all over the Scotish glens, as well as the mirage between the real and surreality.
