Benrei HUANG: Embrace! With your one ear and my one ear, we become onePost date：2024-11-14
Updates：2024-11-14
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- Event Time
- 2024-11-09~2024-12-14Tue.－Sat. 11:00 ~ 19:00
- Event Location
- ESLITE GALLERY, Xinyi Dist., Taipei City Taiwan, R.O.C
This time, HUANG unveils 26 new paintings. Meanwhile, Nini also steps out of the canvas as a felted wool sculpture, adorned in a striking red cloak to embark on an adventure to find the "Big Bad Wolf." In 2021, as the pandemic swept across the globe, HUANG responded to its impact on life and society through her solo exhibition Shapes of Self-Reflection. Social distancing brought quietness to her daily routine. Now that the pandemic has subsided, this sense of calm persists, prompting HUANG to explore creative ideas she had long wished to pursue but had not yet addressed. After a period of rumination, she has brought these projects to life, including the wool-felt sculpture Looking for her wolf, which engages in dialogue with her 2014 painting Temptation for the little red.
The story of Little Red Riding Hood inspired HUANG, who, a decade ago, depicted Little Red Nini succumbing to the temptation of light cascading down a flight of stairs, evoking a sense of restlessness. But isn't this a feeling that both you and I have experienced before? As the years pass, fairy tales evolve into deeper reflections, inviting new interpretations: Little Red Nini now wears an extravagant red cloak and embarks on a journey to find her wolf. Benrei HUANG uses "wolf" as a symbol representing temptation, fear, and the exploration of the unknown.
The chaos that envelops us stirs a whirlwind of emotions and a sense of helplessness. On the surface, things may appear as serene as Nini in Everything is fine or can be interpreted as a test of fate. In Valhalla calling, Nini leaves behind its cherished plant and sofa—material possessions—to face fate alone. It is only by transcending tribulations that one can reach a higher state of cultivation. Valhalla in the English title is drawn from Norse mythology, which means the eternal resting place for the souls of brave warriors.
Benrei HUANG, born in 1959 in Taipei, graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University in 1982, specializing in Western painting. She later pursued her studies in the United States, earning an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 1992. During her time in the U.S., she worked as a picture book and illustration artist. Her latest work, Sheep don’t count sheep, nini does, is a continuation of her illustration contribution to Margaret Wise Brown, best known for her classic children's book Sheep Don't Count Sheep. Through Nini, she pays homage to the renowned author, carrying forward the creative connection first established in 2003.
Ever since Nini came into being in 2008, it has become HUANG's best creative partner, becoming a vessel for expressing the essence of contemporary social culture, such as Silly bunnies checking in and Fashionably late, as well as I-conversation that explores the intricate emotional expressions of introverts ("I" persons) from the 16 MBTI personality types. How a baker works draws inspiration from online live streaming, while Vision test and Floaters reveal the silent affliction of eye strain in modern life. The set painting Embrace! With your one ear and my one ear, we become one sees Nini interacting with a geometric sculpture until they eventually merge into one, symbolizing the close relationship between partners in life and career. In a world filled with unpredictability, Benrei HUANG and Nini remain constant as they continue their journey together, steadfastly seeking the spirituality that gives life its depth and meaning.
The story of Little Red Riding Hood inspired HUANG, who, a decade ago, depicted Little Red Nini succumbing to the temptation of light cascading down a flight of stairs, evoking a sense of restlessness. But isn't this a feeling that both you and I have experienced before? As the years pass, fairy tales evolve into deeper reflections, inviting new interpretations: Little Red Nini now wears an extravagant red cloak and embarks on a journey to find her wolf. Benrei HUANG uses "wolf" as a symbol representing temptation, fear, and the exploration of the unknown.
The chaos that envelops us stirs a whirlwind of emotions and a sense of helplessness. On the surface, things may appear as serene as Nini in Everything is fine or can be interpreted as a test of fate. In Valhalla calling, Nini leaves behind its cherished plant and sofa—material possessions—to face fate alone. It is only by transcending tribulations that one can reach a higher state of cultivation. Valhalla in the English title is drawn from Norse mythology, which means the eternal resting place for the souls of brave warriors.
Benrei HUANG, born in 1959 in Taipei, graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University in 1982, specializing in Western painting. She later pursued her studies in the United States, earning an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 1992. During her time in the U.S., she worked as a picture book and illustration artist. Her latest work, Sheep don’t count sheep, nini does, is a continuation of her illustration contribution to Margaret Wise Brown, best known for her classic children's book Sheep Don't Count Sheep. Through Nini, she pays homage to the renowned author, carrying forward the creative connection first established in 2003.
Ever since Nini came into being in 2008, it has become HUANG's best creative partner, becoming a vessel for expressing the essence of contemporary social culture, such as Silly bunnies checking in and Fashionably late, as well as I-conversation that explores the intricate emotional expressions of introverts ("I" persons) from the 16 MBTI personality types. How a baker works draws inspiration from online live streaming, while Vision test and Floaters reveal the silent affliction of eye strain in modern life. The set painting Embrace! With your one ear and my one ear, we become one sees Nini interacting with a geometric sculpture until they eventually merge into one, symbolizing the close relationship between partners in life and career. In a world filled with unpredictability, Benrei HUANG and Nini remain constant as they continue their journey together, steadfastly seeking the spirituality that gives life its depth and meaning.
