Yin Qi exhibition
YIN Qi(尹齐)
YIN QI Yin Qi is one of the major Chinese new generation artists actively working in both China and France. Two years after graduating from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1987, he headed to France and studied at Ecole nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts. His studies and works in France greatly influenced Yin Qi so much that a person, born and raised in China, like himself even said, “My entire life began anew” Yin Qi was initially quite shocked by the materialistic society of France, which was not so similar to China. A honker from unfamiliar cars and stress from living in the city soon impelled him to reflect on the relations between materials and himself. Because everything in life, such as media and education, creates a distance between humans and materials, when we view an object we unconsciously view it through a fixed window. Ultimately, Yin Qi realized that it is this distance and stereotypes that prevent people from seeing the true nature of objects. Therefore, Yin Qi represented his thinking by distinguishing the difference between “the way to see” and “the way to express”. Disregarding the typicality, he observes objects from his own point of view and eliminates the conventional image of objects by his own method of expression: layering paints thick and rough and stripping them off. Through this method, Yin Qi offers an unusual perspective of looking at objects rather than at their mediocre narrative. From 1999 to 2002, Yin Qi painted the series named “Dogs” depicting the shape of pet dog. He abolishes the object’s original texture but rather represents the dog with his unique wavy brushstrokes. Although dogs painted in this way possess the same figures as the original models, it gives an unrealistic impression. This series marked the beginning of his works eliminating the object’s character though subjective expression method while maintaining the objectivity of the hues and colors. Yin Qi even removed the objectivity of colors in the next works: His “Interior” series displays the day-to-day images of kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms. However, by presenting these familiar spaces with unfamiliarity, he compels the viewers to see an entirely new space now. For this purpose, he refused to use any colors, and the resulting work “Interior” is reborn to an unrealistic space despite its common existence in the world. His space recreations expand into not only just well-acquainted surroundings but also into the grand nature and historical places. From 2004 he painted an oil series that took the “Sea” as its main theme. While the series does not picture a blue sea which is the typical image associated with a sea, Yin Qi painted only the grey sea which gives the dark but dreamy illusions. Yin Qi has even removed the lengthy historic and political significance from his works through the movements of brushstrokes. After he has specifically indicated the year ‘1954’ in the title [The Water Pavilion in Zhongshan Park in 1954], he rather accomplishes an irony by eliminating the historical and political implications in the painting. Thus, Yin Qi’s paintings, which remove the colors and the object’s own characteristics and texture, remind the viewers of surrealism. This exhibition presents Yin Qi’s major works, such as the series “Dogs”, “Interior”, and “Sea,” along with his 22 recent oil collections of plum flowers and landscape. In addition, his other collections including his collage diary and 40 pieces of witty drawings done on graphing papers are on display during this exhibition.