Gristle Gallery: CULT OF MEOW IV Opening September 12, 2020
It's already mid September. It is a month between summer and fall. Early September is still summer, late September is towards fall that still carries colours of summer.
I am excited to officially announce that I am part of the Cult of Meow IV group exhibition which opened today on Saturday September 12, 2020 at Gristle Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Cult of Meow is Gristle Gallery's annual group exhibition and this year makes its 4th annual show.
Due to the global pandemic it will be an online exclusive show. Please visit Gristle Gallery Official Website and check out my work along with other stunning cats by my favorite artists. You can also check out their Instagram and feel free to share artworks you like to your friends.
Page is the name of the cat that I met in a bookstore in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I used to go to the bookstore to look for used/new books and also to see the cat back in 2013~2015. It was a few years ago but I remember he was over 10 years old then. He was usually somewhere on the floor walking or sleeping. One day I took a picture of him curing up sleeping on top of a stack of books. He was so quiet and peacefully still, almost like merging with the books. I didn't notice him first, and when I did, I couldn't tell if he was in a dream or in heaven at first glance. This painting was made based on my memory of a picture I took of the cat sleeping back then, also I am inspired by the The Fibonacci Sequence, the golden ratio.
I'm fascinated by animals like cats and birds especially when I see them lying on the ground/road in a city. Probably they are sleeping as animals usually don't die anywhere visible. But it makes me realize I do not know how each cat looks when it is sleeping. We only see someone sleeping when we get very close to them. To me knowing someone's sleep means knowing them on a personal level, they are close friends or more, and can let down their guard with each other.You might often find figures with closed eyes in my work because it is a symbolic gesture to me. Closed eyes is not only about facing oneself, but also the presence of personal close connections, and also a desire to know something unknown.
I believe holding such a desire and being "in want of knowing something" is a key to make the world less fearful and more peaceful and joyful.
 |
Page, The Dreamer Oil on Wood Panel 12" diameter |
Page is the name of the cat that I met in a bookstore in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I used to go to the bookstore to look for used/new books and also to see the cat back in 2013~2015. It was a few years ago but I remember he was over 10 years old then. He was usually somewhere on the floor walking or sleeping. One day I took a picture of him curing up sleeping on top of a stack of books. He was so quiet and peacefully still, almost like merging with the books. I didn't notice him first, and when I did, I couldn't tell if he was in a dream or in heaven at first glance. This painting was made based on my memory of a picture I took of the cat sleeping back then, also I am inspired by the The Fibonacci Sequence, the golden ratio.
I'm fascinated by animals like cats and birds especially when I see them lying on the ground/road in a city. Probably they are sleeping as animals usually don't die anywhere visible. But it makes me realize I do not know how each cat looks when it is sleeping. We only see someone sleeping when we get very close to them. To me knowing someone's sleep means knowing them on a personal level, they are close friends or more, and can let down their guard with each other.You might often find figures with closed eyes in my work because it is a symbolic gesture to me. Closed eyes is not only about facing oneself, but also the presence of personal close connections, and also a desire to know something unknown.
I believe holding such a desire and being "in want of knowing something" is a key to make the world less fearful and more peaceful and joyful.
 |
Maneki-Neko Graphite, Charcoal, & Watercolor on paper 9" x 12" (12.25" x 15.25" framed) |
For this exhibition, in addition to my black cat painting, I wanted to make something that is not just art but also brings positivity and good luck to someome who owns them. Maneki-Neko is a beckoning cat (often Japanese Bobtail) that is believed to bring good luck to the owner.
 |
Porcelain Maneki-Neko Graphite & Watercolor on paper 9" x 12" (14.75" x 11.75" framed) |
Did you notice three legs for the first Maneki-neko? and a real tail for the procelain Maneki-neko?
Now three cats are finally finished and they are happy to stay with Gristle Gallery in Cult of Meow IV and they are ready to find a new home. The Page painting is sold to a collector but the two Maneki-Neko drawings are still available for your home.
It is time for me to go back to a progress window painting that I started early this year. There are two progress paintings or (little odd) portraits that I want to finish. Also two progress fishtank paintings.
My studio will be filled with good energy this fall.
New York City is still in the post-lockdown and the city is not yet fully opened. Movie theatres and Broadway musicals are still closed and I read that Broadway musicals will reopen in January 2021. But museums have started to reopen in late August. Some galleries are open now with appointment only. To experience this historical yet odd moment, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art this week, for a small treat to myself. Seeing real artwork of great artists is a benefit of living in a culturally rich city. This time, I learned that such benefits are offered only when the city is healthy. I like that museums are taking full advantage of the lockdown, and making improvement in their exhibition spaces and bringing out some new artworks from their storage. That's the New York spirit that makes me proud to be. What a 150th anniversary it has become for Met though.
Comments
Post a Comment