Liyen Chong’s showcase exhibition at Papakura Art Gallery

The first exhibition for 2014 will soon be on display at the Papakura Art Gallery.

Liyen Chong’s first ever survey exhibition “Dreams, Circles, Moons, Fictions (and fragments found on the forest floor of disquietude)” will show from Saturday 1 February until Saturday 15 March at the council-run facility.

This survey exhibition is a retrospective that samples different bodies of work from different periods of Chong’s practice since she graduated from Elam in 2001.

The concept brings together a mixture of cultural experiences and explores the idea of displacement amongst migrants.

Hanna Scott, Auckland Council Arts and Culture Programming Manager says the exhibition was deliberately scheduled to open between Chinese New Year (31 January) and Waitangi Day (6 February) to highlight the cross-cultural perspective to this show.

“These two dates in the New Zealand calendar create a context for a unique conversation regarding the notion of cultural identity in our country with its fast-changing population demographics.”

Chong, of Malaysian-Chinese descent, creates works that defy categorisation and are “conceptually rich and visually immaculate”, according to art writer Virginia Were.

With works spanning her 12 year career, Chong says she has created these artworks to honour her experiences, both past and present.

“I am curious about the phenomenon of migration over the centuries in how it shapes and informs each individual’s experience of their lives,” she says.

Chong continues, “I hope that audiences of many backgrounds are able to find this a relevant topic given the post-colonial and increasingly multi-racial society in New Zealand.”

Including meticulous embroideries made from human hair; ceramic bowls with photographic transfers and hand painting (called Exportware), hand painted photographic prints and lightboxes, this is a must-see exhibition.

The exhibition is part of council’s commitment to creating a culturally rich and creative Auckland and has been supported by the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

Dreams Circles Moons Fictions (and fragments found on the forest floor of disquietude)
By Liyen Chong
1 February - 15 March 2014
Papakura Art Gallery
10 Averill Street, Papakura
Cost: Free

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 9am-5pm
Saturday: 10am-2pm

Ends

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