Shall we dance! Lacquer Art by Wei Nan A solo exhibition 2 - 25.9.2022

Curated and presented by The Gallery by SOIL

Artist Statement

The exhibition showcases my achievements throughout the past seven years of studying lacquer art in Japan. It is also the most comprehensive collection of works I have made since I started my creative journey. Over the past few years in Japan, I have spent most of my time exploring three-dimensional forms with lacquer art. As an introvert, I intend to interact with the outside world and express myself through my creation. It is as if I whisper to my works, unfolding my enthusiasm while creating each of them. This makes a huge contrast from my quiet personality.

My works are not decorative, and most of them are mono in colour. Instead, I focus on expressive shapes. The soft and elastic properties of leather materials and stretchable fabrics allow me to present the mystical world in my heart. I find the aesthetics from our nature in motion through the blooming of flowers, rippling waves by a breeze, and elegant lines of a human body. I want to convey to viewers that every gesture contains strength and vitality. It is as if they are performing various dance styles along a stream of silent notes. I wish to capture, through lacquer art making, the moments of dancing, the motion of blooming, and energy from within myself.

展覽的作品綜合了我在日本學習漆藝七年的成果，同時也是我形成獨立創作風格以來一次作品的集結。在日本這幾年，我大部分時間都是在探索漆造型的創作中度過。這跟我內斂的性格有關，創作成為我面對世界的一個出口，同時也是自我表達的一個窗口。我長時間地與作品對話，把內心的熱情和對生命的力量投放在作品上，與自身安靜的性格剛剛相反。

我的作品大多是單色沒有裝飾，我把重點放在形態的表達上，通過皮革和伸縮性面料其柔軟且富有彈性的特質，建構出我心中繽紛的世界。我以我的美學理解大自然中的動感，來表達花朵綻放的過程、輕風的波瀾蕩漾，人體搖曳的優雅線條，我要傳達給觀看者這些動態都蘊含力量、充滿生機，作品彷佛在無聲的音符中演繹著風姿各異的舞蹈。我用漆藝來把翩翩起舞的瞬間，花兒綻放的姿態，及大自然的能量，定格成永恆。

Wei Nan

Wei Nan was born in Beijing, China, in 1994. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Art and Design from the Beijing University of Technology in 2016. In between her studies, Wei gained an opportunity for an exchange study at Saga University in Japan, which inspired her interest in lacquer art and woodwork. Subsequently, she decided to study in Japan to broaden her horizons. Wei earned her Master's Degree from the Graduate School of Faculty of Art and Regional Design, Saga University. She is pursuing her Doctoral Degree at the Graduate School of Fine Arts of Kyoto University of Arts.

At a relatively young age, Wei received numerous awards while studying in Japan, including the Cultural Foundation Award at the 67th Japan Saga Prefectural Art Exhibition in 2017, and the Student Award at the 57th Japan Crafts Exhibition in 2018, the Encouragement Award at the 59th Japan Crafts Exhibition in 2020. In addition, her work was selected to exhibit at one of the most prestigious exhibitions, Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition, in 2020. Most recently her work “Power of Flower” is awarded the Grand Prize of “Art meets Architecture Competition” (AAC 2021) in Japan.

隗楠

隗楠在1994年出生於中國北京，2016年獲取北京工業大學藝術與設計學士學位，期間她曾前往日本佐賀大學進行學術交流，激發了她對漆與木工藝的興趣。隨後，她決定出國留學擴闊視野並於佐賀大學藝術地域設計研究生院獲取碩士學位，目前在京都市藝術大學美術研究生院攻讀博士學位。隗楠雖然年輕，但在日本留學期間已獲獎無數，計有2017年第67屆日本佐賀縣立美術展的文化基金會獎、2018年第57屆日本工藝展的學生獎以及2020年第59屆日本工藝展的鼓勵獎。她的作品在2020年入選日本享負盛名的石川國際漆藝展。最近，她的作品《花的力量》更榮獲了“藝術與建築競賽”（AAC 2021）大獎。