Bingyi, Wenhao Cai, Yutong Cai, Shuwen Cao, Emily Cheng, Mandy Chen, Fei Cui, Zhen Guo, Hastoya, Xiaomo Hong, Cindy Hsu, DoDo JinMing, Maggie Law, Orange Li, Pixy Yijun Liao, Yan Lin, Amy Liu, Evelyn Lu, Min Luo, Loy Luo, Annysa Ng, Ellie Kayu Ng, Yan Nie, Pei Ou, Zelene Jiang Schlosberg, Julia Shen, Cai Shen, Quni Shiyi Sheng, Helen Shu, Xiangni Song, Xin Song, Yu-ho Tseng, Tong Wang, Jiahe Wang, Kelly Wang, Charlotte Wu, Xinyu Wo, Danwen Xing, Jingyu Xu, Yang Meizi, Bing Yun, Lanyin Yu, Yanzi Zhang, and Yu Zhang
March 2 – April 1, 2023 · Curated by Christy Qin and Sally Wu
In the Mood for Love offered a compelling view of the capacity of Chinese women artists, from the Song dynasty to the present, to convey powerful visual compositions across mediums ranging from photography to painting, works on paper, mixed media, and more. Curated by Christy Qin and Sally Wu, this ambitious group exhibition paired the masterful expertise and technical proficiency of women artists past and present across the Chinese diaspora, featuring artists working in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States, Australia, Germany, and other locales. A potent reminder that women have an intuitive grasp of depth, composition, and form, and that women in contemporary culture are capable of leading any field within the visual arts, In the Mood for Love compelled viewers to re-examine not only the rich diversity of art created by diasporic Chinese women artists, but also the multifaceted themes, concepts, and formats that their work deftly inhabits.
Often hidden in the past, these artists have risen to glory in modern times as women artists have assumed a position at the forefront of the contemporary art market. Women artists with Chinese origins working in the 21st century have the world at their feet: whether studying abroad or diving into traditional and contemporary methods within the People’s Republic of China, these contemporary artists bring together Western and Chinese or Pan-Asian influences in their practice, forming some of the most exciting series of works available on the art market.
Featuring the work of artists from nearly 1,000 years ago to today, In the Mood for Love certainly offered space for women artists to explore the sensual and visceral, but in no way confined women to any preconceived notions of traditional Chinese society or discouraged them from exploring themes that hold their conceptual interest. Women continue to push boundaries and hold spaces at the forefront of artistic experimentation and rebellion, and this spirit was palpable throughout In the Mood for Love.
Many artists featured in the exhibition chose to delve into portraiture and identity, as found in the works of Ellie Kayu Ng, Amy Liu, Pixy Yijun Liao, Wenhao Cai, and Annysa Ng, while others pushed the boundaries of abstraction, as found in the practices of Emily Cheng, Yan Lin, Yanzi Zhang, Xin Song, and Kelly Wang. While abstraction may seem at odds with centuries of representational, landscape-forward scenic painting in China, which has influenced the arts of Asia as a region, there are no restrictions on the daring steps these women artists take when innovating within painting as a genre, in both abstract and representational painting. Text-based works such as those created by Fei Cui, Charlotte Wu, and Shuwen Cao formed a powerful contrast to historical paintings integrating figuration and text, such as the work on view by Song dynasty Empress Yang Meizi. While many of these artists have overcome substantial barriers to create the formally and conceptually compelling work they make today, the rich and storied history of Chinese painting and art-making, and the remarkable role that women artists play in Chinese art history on the global stage, is impactful and undeniable. Whether evoking the contours of the human form, the hidden struggles of identity, or the enduring strength of the human spirit, the artworks on view in this historic group exhibition offered a resounding reminder that Chinese women artists are who, and what, they determine themselves to be, whether in dialogue with the rich millennia of Chinese artistic expression before them or diving into the unknown with a sense of spirited abandon.
Works in the Exhibition
In the Mood for Love was on view at VillageOneArt, 150 West 25th Street, Suite 403, New York, from March 2 to April 1, 2023. Curated by Christy Qin and Sally Wu. For inquiries regarding available works, please contact info@villageoneart.com.