Artist Statement:
Though the rain has stopped, the air retains a cold chill. Crows and seagulls fly amongst beautiful dark clouds drifting across the sky. There is no better place to experience such a perfect moment. My participation in the Artist at Glenfiddich Project has brought me to this small village in northern Scotland. The Greek god of wine, Dionysus, tempts me subtly with his offerings which, admittedly, would go well with the surrounding imagery. However, I do not indulge. Instead, I spend my time wandering under those unfamiliar skies. Each step takes me somewhere new and unknown.
During summer, the daylight hours of Dufftown are long. Here, one finds the need to reexamine their past experiences. The sensations and desires of city life aren’t easily cast aside even with the most ascetic of mindsets. All the temptations I can imagine at this place are blurred by a sense of unfamiliarity because Dufftown is so far removed from my own home and language. Instinctively, a person desires to be sheltered by familiar comforts. Regarding profound insights about life or deeply buried mysteries, I believe Dionysus exists, whether in reality or imagination. Through Leonardo da Vinci’s paintbrush, he was reincarnated to guide mankind in a search for their innate vitality directly through their senses, rather than through the filter of reason. His actions have opened up limitless creative possibilities. Hearing a rustling noise in the distance, I walk towards the sound thinking that perhaps Dionysus had transformed into a deer wandering through the forest.
People often think of painting as an art that imitates forms to recreate reality. Yet, for me, each series of abstract painting serves as a window to my inner emotions, feelings, and thoughts. They are more than just images of the physical world. The silence of my surroundings lets me experience and become aware of even more subtle changes. As I walk amongst spaces through time, I sense the damp coldness of the air, the softness of the dry earth beneath my feet, and the fragrance of dried grass. The objects of Dufftown that affirm my inner strength: its wineries, warehouses, streets, hills, trails, animals, grasslands, rivers, skies, and vintage trains; all these things make me feel a sense of ease. My delirium over the profound secrets of nature has led me to a habit of silently viewing my own works from a distance. Shrouded in darkness or exposed by light, from afar or close by, viewers can always discover a different kind of scene lingering in the imagination of my painting, from the customary cold tones, minimalist forms, and delicately embedded details.
Dufftown is a work inspired by the state of mind associated with experiences I had during my three months as an artist-in-residence. Absorbing every vision of scenery, I transcended my own boundaries and barriers, and after leaving Dufftown and returning to my life of familiarity, I began to ponder the colors, lines, and shapes that would fully capture my feelings and mood. The images are not recreated through a chronological sequence; instead, I only recall my most important beliefs and intuition. As I recreate the legend of Dionysus, I embark on a journey in which I exercise my innermost, eternal feelings.
Image: © Wu Tung Lung, IT Park Gallery & Photo Studio
