A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou at Asia Society Hong Kong Center reviewed by Wendy Fang for ArtAsiaPacific.
When walking through Asia Society Hong Kong Center’s exhibition “A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou,” one is reminded of the late Chinese artist’s unequivocal words: “I am my art; my paintings are me.” The show wove four major themes into a poignant story about Chou’s late initiation into the field of art, the development of her unique artistic style, her tumultuous personal life, and her journey of self-discovery.
The retrospective opened with The Universe Lies Within I (1996), a large-scale canvas that demands immediate attention with its striking visuals. Layered with washes of rusty reds, turquoise blues, and flaxen yellows, a vortex of splattered ink and a spiralling calligraphic line dominate the composition. The ambience insinuated by the painting is at once moody, complex, and explosive. The repetitive circular motifs allude to Chou’s belief that spheres were a representation of her “inner self.” The placement of this seminal work as a prelude was a bold curatorial promise to deliver a thoughtful and sensitive approach to her complete oeuvre.
The rest of the exhibition followed a predominantly chronological and thematic arrangement. To the left of The Universe Lies Within I were a group of early works produced by Chou in the 1950s and ’60s, during her artistic training under Lingnan School painter Zhao Shao’ang. This first section, titled “Discovering the Meaning of Art,” encapsulated Chou’s initial ventures beyond imitating the styles of previous ink masters. Untitled (Mantis on Ladies Stocking) (1960) features a section of hosiery lined with earth-toned paper and pasted onto traditional xuan paper. A praying mantis, emblematic of courage in classical Chinese literature, is painted onto the paper ground as if it is standing on the calf of the stocking. Juxtaposing this symbol with the intimate and feminine object, the work seems to gesture at the artist’s own adventurous spirit.
Text courtesy of ArtAsiaPacific.
Images courtesy of Asia Society Hong Kong Center.
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https://www.artasiapacific.com/shows/a-world-within-the-art-and-inspiration-of-irene-chou/
