Instant is Permanent

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Exhibition Period: September 4, 2022 – September 25, 2022

Address: 8th Hall, Powerlong Art Museum, No.3055 Caobao Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, China

Sun Yao’s solo exhibition “Instant is Permanent” was held at Powerlong Art Museum’s 8th hall from September 4th to 25th, 2022. Organized by the museum, the exhibition was curated by Mr. Du Xiyun.

The exhibition features 45 artworks, including the large-scale triptych and hexaptych “Eternal Flame,” and the monumental piece “Neverland - Landscape,” Spanning 41.2 meters in length, this significant work was created over a two-year period starting in 2018. The exhibition also presented the representative series “Neverland,” which began in 2016, and systematically revisits past series such as “River of Entropy,” “To The Stars,” “Oblivion,” “The River Runs through It,” and “Deep Forest.”

On September 03, 2022, at 4 PM, the Powerlong Art Museum hosted a thought-provoking discussion, “The Visible and the Invisible.” Mr. Wang Xiaosong, Executive Director of the Museum, artist Sun Yao, and curator Mr. Du Xiyun engaged in an in-depth discussion on the topic.

Preface

A sensitive soul navigates a complex world, where emotions ebb and flow like the tides. Sun Yao captures these inner currents on canvas, transforming them into vivid, dreamlike illusions under the light of his creative vision. Though abstract, these illusions take on concrete, detailed forms, walking the line between faithful representation and spontaneous expression. As order and disorder entwine, they tug at both the conscious and subconscious mind, laying bare Sun’s inner world while drawing him deeper into the unknown.

Everyday experiences, rational thinking, and transcendent perception converge onto the canvas, generating a powerful visual energy. In the process of painting across broad and complex strokes, he embarks on a journey into the unknown, exploring realms both cosmic and microscopic — from the vast expanse of starry skies to the intricate worlds that lie beneath our gaze. These uncharted territories evoke a mix of awe and trepidation, yet his insights are rooted in a profound examination of the mundane: daily life, personal encounters, and philosophical questioning. It is here, in the depths of human experience, that he uncovers the essence of his art. This intricate dance between the ordinary and the unknown gives rise to the enigmatic and unpredictable nature of his paintings, a reflection of the complex interplay between the everyday and the sublime.

In the vast expanse of eternity, how small and fleeting is the individual! Yet, it is within this boundless expanse that Sun discovers his creative spark. As he immerses himself in the canvas, he navigates the intersection of the finite and infinite, the ordered and the chaotic. With each bold brushstroke, his willpower, passion, and expressive ability enable him to create a series of paintings that pulse with complex, intense conflicts and grandeur that draw the viewer in. Through his art, Sun’s journey of self-discovery and exploration of the external world comes alive before our eyes like a rich tapestry of human experience woven from the threads of his imagination and creativity.

By Du Xiyun.