Illusion: Yau Wing Fung

Fu Qiumeng Fine Art is thrilled to present Yau Wing Fung's latest solo exhibition Illusion. The featured pieces chronicle the artist's creative evolution over the past five years, ranging from the foundational series characterized by gridded compositions to the more recent Meta and Into series. Showcasing Yau's contemporary ink landscape artworks that transcend temporal confines, the exhibition will take place at 65 East 80th Street in New York City. The opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, February 10th, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, followed by the artist talk and demonstration on February 17th. This project is supported by JCCAC’s Professor Mayching Kao Arts Development Fund.

Yau Wing Fung draws artistic inspiration from the spatio-temporal aesthetics inherent in traditional Chinese ink paintings. With each brushstroke gracefully traversing the paper, he contemplates the undulations of the landscapes, immersing himself in ancient wisdom that highlights a harmonious connection with the flow of the world. Simultaneously, his acute awareness of the shift in visual experience leads him to seamlessly interweave the classical poetic hermitude and the versatility of the digital present; his artworks whisper timeless wisdom but in contemporary terms.

In “Illusion,” the artist delves into the rhythmic beauty and constructive qualities of traditional ink paintings, reconfiguring the pictorial space to engage with the ever-evolving human experience in the digital age, prompting contemplation that transcends our recognition of the immediate surroundings, both spatially and temporally. 

Yau's latest series, "Meta," making its debut at FQM Fine Arts, reimagines the transitions of the human milieu and the alternation of time and space. While the title "Meta" may suggest a connection to the metaverse, linking the works to the swift rewriting of information and the ambiguity between virtuality and reality, Yau places more emphasis on the original meaning of Meta — "beyond." Employing more than eight different styles to depict the same scenery, he seeks creativity within repetitiveness. With each variation, the growing proficiency draws the artist closer to the landscapes, forging a symbiotic relationship between subject and object, blurring the line between the present and the past. Yau contends that the dichotomy between tradition and modernity is merely a human construct, yet the fluidity of culture and identity can often transcend such seemingly rigid categorization, allowing the current state of mind to engage with the timeless essence of the Chinese landscape art tradition.

Yau Wing Fung's artistic creations breathe life into the vistas within his mind, woven from classical aesthetic theories and present visual experiences, contemplating the human experience of drifting through a spatial-temporal continuum. He articulates that we “persistently traverse the flow of time and space, seeking a tether that binds, forging anew between endings and the echoes of the past.” Illusion juxtaposes these pieces, inviting viewers to discern the fluidity within the imagery and the experience of observation.