ISLE: OPUS / Selected

–

Exhibition Period: May 30, 2021 – July 30, 2021

Address: QU Art Museum (SIP), 2/F, Star Mall, No.68 Suxiu Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, China; QU Art Museum (Gusu), No.16 Yulangqiaobang, Gusu District, Suzhou, China

Sun Yao’s solo exhibition “ISLE: OPUS” was held from May 30 to July 30, 2021 at the QU Art Museum (SIP), alongside the parallel exhibition “ISLE: Selected" in it the QU Art Museum (Gusu). Organized by the Belgium-based QU Art (China) Group and curated by Ms. Zhang Siwei, Regional Director for Greater China, this exhibition showcased 57 artworks across both venues.

Featured in the exhibition were are Sun’s representative series “Neverland,” created since 2016, as well as the smaller-scale “Skyline” series created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional works include the “River of Entropy,” “To The Stars,” “Oblivion,” “The River Runs through It,” and “Trace” series.

Preface

Born in Shanghai in 1974, Sun’s childhood was marked by frequent ferry rides across the Huangpu River. The stark contrast between the bustling metropolis on one side and the peaceful countryside on the other left an indelible sense of “disconnection” within him.

In early 2017, Sun’s father and uncle were diagnosed with cancer, and he endured the pain of watching his family suffer through illness for years. The global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 brought the reality of death even closer, compelling deeper reflections on the nature of life.

In response to these experiences, Sun began to paint storms and swaying islands. He often expresses that “the immense turmoil and unsettling unrest are the true essence of life.” Heidegger’s words resonate with him: “Face death squarely” The turmoil and the unrest awaken the profound yearning and tenderness for life.

Memory is often shrouded in a sea of sorrow, and Sun sees painting as a lifeline, an anchor that holds him fast against the turbulent tides of pain and loss. He started experimenting with unfamiliar tools: his fingers, rags, strange scrapers, and brushes, and even engaged in a near-destructive act of pouring painting oils onto nearly finished canvases. The paints would erode and wash over the surfaces, sometimes obstructed by layers of sediment, at other times dissolving the fragile layers of color.

American critic Raul Zamudio described Sun's work as “a journey deep into our innermost selves, a place we are reluctant to visit, confront, or compromise with.”

Through this visceral immersion in the turmoil of existence, we are able to tap into a primal life force that lies dormant within us. The island, infused with this vital energy, forms symbiotic connections that transcend distances, giving rise to a cycle of eternal existence.