Aug 31 - Sept 29 | Nina K Ekman x Catherine Ruane : Guardians of the Desert
Intersect Palm Springs
Yiwei Gallery presents an exhibition that epitomizes our essence – a collection of artworks by artists representing the diverse backgrounds of Asian, female, and local Venice Beach communities. Established in 2019 and later relocating to Venice Beach in 2021, Yiwei Gallery
has been dedicated to fostering diversity, and cultural exchange, and honoring the rich
history of the Venice Beach arts community. This showcase at Intersect Palm Springs features
a blend of artistic voices, with half of the artists hailing from China and the other half from
Venice Beach, California.
Charles Christopher Hill
Renowned on a global scale, Charles Christopher Hill's artwork has graced the walls of prestigious museums not only in California but across the globe. His pieces find a place of honor in esteemed collections, including the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Albuquerque Museum in New Mexico, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2018, Hill made a deliberate shift in his artistic approach, opting for larger compositions and elevating the significance of the white stabilizing material, gesso. This transformation allowed him to burnish the gesso, creating a subtle gloss that intensified the color saturation within his images. As a serendipitous development, Hill began incorporating geometric shapes into conglomerations, eventually leading him to paint everyday objects encountered in his daily life.
This new phase, which began in 2019, witnessed the introduction of dark horizon lines or a dark halo around central images, evolving further in 2021 to feature objects resting on a black horizon. Hill's artistic endeavor extends beyond mere visual aesthetics; he seeks to craft a smooth surface where paint and chemicals interact through intricate brushstrokes, transforming ordinary objects into what he terms "ritual instruments" in the tantric tradition. The resulting harmonious pigments invite viewers into a slow, contemplative exploration, echoing the Taoist philosophy that the simplest holds profound depth. In his minimalist portrayals on canvas, Hill masterfully blends finesse and simplicity, inviting observers to engage with his art on a profound level.
Corinne Chaix
French-born artist Corinne Chaix crafts captivating narratives infused with a science fiction-inspired lens that mirrors the tumultuous reality of our contemporary world. Her work evokes a palpable sense of impending doom and chaos, reminiscent of the challenges we grapple with today, yet it also hints at a resilient hope amid the turmoil. Chaix weaves fantastical tales on canvas or paper, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in her intricately layered paintings that unfold like a gripping novel. The longer one engages with her art, the more clues emerge about the plot, leaving interpretation open to the viewer's perspective. Chaix skillfully blurs the boundary between imagination and reality, employing a predominantly green palette of pastels, oil, and ink to amplify the immersive experience.
Despite the surreal dreamscapes depicting isolated figures in suffocating floods, her art transcends science fiction, resonating with the stark realities of our present global challenges, notably the pandemic. Through her work, Chaix holds onto hope, portraying the endurance of individuals amidst disaster. Influenced by Jules Verne's classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," Chaix uses fiction as a powerful tool for social commentary on human passivity and our peculiar behaviors in the face of danger and environmental concerns. With a diverse educational background in fine arts, computer science, and animation, coupled with exhibitions in Paris, New York, and California, Chaix continues to weave her compelling narratives that captivate audiences around the world.
Catherine Ruane
Catherine Ruane’s artistic journey is an exploration of the intricate complexities inherent in living a robust life. Through her detailed drawings and paintings, she skillfully captures the essence of the wilderness, employing carefully selected charcoals to render scenes that transcend the visual and delve into the metaphors of nature-forms. In Catherine's hands, the persistence of survival becomes a universal theme, woven into the very fabric of her art, reminding viewers of the resilience that permeates all aspects of life. Catherine's impact extends far beyond her studio, with her work collected and exhibited globally. From the artistic havens of Frosinone and Naples in Italy to the cultural hubs of Stockholm, Sweden, and Kyoto, Japan, her art has left an indelible mark.
Closer to home, her pieces grace the walls of esteemed institutions like the San Diego Fine Arts Museum, Riverside Art Museum, Oceanside Art Museum, San Luis Obispo Art Museum, and the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA. Noteworthy reviews in publications such as the Huffington Post, Artillery Magazine, LA Times, Art and Cake, and LA Diversions, along with features on the Emmy Award-winning arts and culture series KCET Outbound, attest to the profound impact of Catherine Ruane's work. Rooted in her upbringing in the farm community surrounding the Salton Sea, Catherine's academic journey, including degrees from San Diego State University and Otis Institute of Art in L.A., as well as a year of focused study in Florence, Italy, has paved the way for her art to find a home in corporate collections of prestigious entities like Harley Davidson USA, Xerox Corp., 20th Century Fox Studios, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Walt Disney Corp., CBS Television, Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank, and Bank of America.
Peipei Li
Peipie Li was born in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. She holds a BFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design (2021), now studied fine art MFA at California College of the Arts (2024). Currently residing in San Francisco. She has exhibited her work in San Francisco and held a solo exhibition in Los Angeles. Peipei creates paintings, performance art and installation art.
Shiqing Li
Shiqing Li (b.1995), a Chinese artist based in New York City and California. She received a BFA degree from Academy of Art University in San Francisco (2020) and an MFA Degree from the Parsons School of Design (2023), currently residing in New York and working as a part-time Fashion Artist and Textile Designer. Her artworks have been exhibited in various locations, including New York , Los Angeles , London , and Athens. Shiqing makes felting, stitching, dyeing, drawing, beading, Embroidery, Bio material and installations.
Jesse Jinghan Liu
Born and raised in Beijing, Jinghan Jesse Liu navigated her high school years in South Carolina and pursued her college education in New York. Having graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2022 with an illustration major, she currently resides in California as a full-time artist. In March 2023, Jesse held her inaugural solo exhibition, Spring Fever, at Yiwei Gallery.
Jesse's oil paintings seamlessly integrate inspiration from daily life with elements of imagination and dream states. Employing a vibrant yet subtle color palette and a nuanced interplay of light and shadow, her work communicates a range of emotions within specific contexts. Through thoughtful compositions, Jesse's paintings convey narratives that evoke a sense of mystery or romance in their ambiance.
Ye Wenlong
Ye Wenlong (b.1979) is an independent photographer based Zhejiang, China. He started teaching himself photography while in high school, and is now a member of the Chinese Fine Art Photography Association. Working with a digital medium format camera, Ye focuses on Eastern style landscape photography. He has exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, and has won the Chinese Academy of Photography award, the highest award in the Chinese fine art photography field.
In Winter Snow, a series of Ye’s photographs in this exhibition, the artist captured black and white images in nature during the winter months. While he focuses on trees and their surroundings, it is the integration of the winter snow that adds a layer of abstraction to the works. In Ye’s photographs, he utilizes the quality of cameras to flatten the picture plane into areas that become negative and positive spaces transcending the physical world from either side of abstraction and representation to a blend of both.