► 安之若素 ─ 紀嘉華個展
展期 │ 2021.10.02 - 11.13
開幕 │ 2021.10.16 (Sat.) 3 p.m.
地點 │ 耿畫廊 台北市內湖區瑞光路548巷15號1樓
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❍ 溫馨提醒，因應全國疫情二級警戒，耿畫廊自即日起採預約參觀制。相關細則與規定，請見以下預約參觀表單。
預約參觀這邊請 ▿
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仲秋初涼之際，耿畫廊帶來紀嘉華睽違三年的個展「安之若素」，展出其近年來的繪畫新作。對於時間的探索，是此展「安之若素」的基本精神，紀嘉華在架構上以時間為主題，肌理上則以情緒佇留為主要線路，發展出許多大大小小的意想空間。
低限抽象向來是紀嘉華創作的藝術語彙，擅長以明快的色彩、井然有序的線條和不可名狀的空間深度鋪陳畫面。儘管近年來紀嘉華逐漸從空間轉向時間性的思考，但其主題內涵上始終如一 : 創作靈感來自生活主場景，執筆捕捉生命中從未停止流逝的吉光片羽，顏料經平塗、橫掃、覆蓋、滴流，直到「繪畫慢慢地揭示自己的面貌」。
如果說繪畫是凝結時間於畫布的實踐，那麼未曾囿限於傳統抽象表現形式的紀嘉華，選擇用流動的瞬息來賦予時間生命。例如與本次展覽標題同名之作的《安之若素》: 這一幅誕生於疫情最為嚴峻時候的創作，在其斗大⿊⾊天空的背景下，有著流星般的筆觸飛竄於天際。藝術家藉光影流動的凝結，揭示時間與空間的虛實交錯，向觀者指出不復見的時間的存在和消逝。一如紀嘉華所自栩的：「我希望我的繪畫記錄時間的軌跡；它們是屬於這個時代的寧靜與不安，秩序與紛亂。時而輕盈，時而沉重，最終捕捉的是剎那間簡單的感動。我時常對自己說，是提醒亦是期許，即便處在混亂的世界裡，也要讓自己保持寧靜的狀態。」或許，更精確而言，擅長在混沌秩序中找出理性與感性平衡點的紀嘉華，選擇以意識流的方式抒寫，透過藝術語言的淬鍊，揭櫫藝術家自身的內心世界。畫裡行間沒有過多壓倒性的敘事，風格自然卻藏不住高度的形式建構，形式低限卻得以乘載藝術家豐沛的情感。每一幅畫作即使色調相仿，卻不知為何予人千變萬化之感，令人目不暇給。
本展「安之若素」藉時間之流，隱喻藝術家詩性般的思考路徑。紀嘉華將受限於瘟疫下的心靈狀態，以一種純粹繪畫的方式展現。簡潔的作品形式與其散射出的多重閱讀層次，形成對比並從中激發出能量，觸動觀者情感上的共鳴。
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▋關於藝術家 ▋
紀嘉華，1969年生於台灣台中。畢業於美國賓州大學藝術碩士，同時擁有藝術與建築學歷背景的紀嘉華，長年遊走於創作者、策展人、收藏家與藝術推廣者等多重身份之間，步步能見的盡是他對理念的堅定追尋，其豐沛的生命動力幾乎不是尋常人能用靜態作品所承載，我們卻能在他的藝術之道上可俯拾即得。作品為國立台灣美術館、高雄市立美術館、澳洲白兔美術館等機構以及私人收藏。目前工作與生活於台灣台中。
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► Equanimity - Jason Chi Solo Exhibition

Exhibition Dates │ 10.02-11.13.2021
Reception │ 10.16.2021 (Sat.) 3 p.m.
Venue │ Tina Keng Gallery (1F, No. 15, Ln. 548, Ruiguang Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei, Taiwan)
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❍ In response to the Covid-19 alert having been lowered to level 2 announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center, Tina Keng Gallery is open by appointment from now on. Please make your appointment online one day in advance of your preferred date.

Make your appointment at ▿
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In the early cool of mid-autumn, the Tina Keng Gallery is pleased to present Jason Chi＆#039;s solo exhibition Equanimity, a culmination of his recent paintings created over the last three years. The driving spirit of this exhibition is the exploration of time. Time is a recurring motif in this particular body of work, while the artist＆#039;s lingering memories and the emotional texture of the exhibition interweave, working together to open up both expansive and intimate spaces for imagination.
The aesthetic vocabulary of Chi＆#039;s works is rooted in minimalist abstraction, and his paintings often feature vivid colors, methodical lines, and enigmatic depths of space. Although the artist has gradually shifted his focus from spatial to temporal exploration in recent years, his creative philosophy remains the same: He derives inspiration from scenes of his daily life, and he uses his brush to capture these ephemeral moments. Chi meticulously spreads, sweeps, saturates, and trickles the pigment across sheets of linen until "the painting slowly reveals its true face."
The artist consistently tests the limits of traditional abstract forms of expression. If painting is the practice of seizing a moment in time upon a canvas, Chi endeavors to emulate fleeting moments that invigorate his works. Take for example the painting for which the exhibition was eponymously named: Equanimity was created at the height of the pandemic, and it depicts delicate meteor-like brushstrokes soaring across a dim night sky. By conflating the flow of light and darkness, Chi demonstrates the interlacing of time and space, granting the viewer a glimpse at a moment that is never to be experienced again. As the artist himself elaborates, "I hope my paintings capture the trajectory of this period. They testify to the tranquility and anxiety, the order and chaos of this era. At times light and lithe, at other times heavy and hard, the paintings ultimately capture the simple emotions embedded in a fleeting moment. I often tell myself, as both a reminder and an aspiration, that I must maintain my peace of mind amid a world of disruptions." In a deeper sense, the artist exposes his own psychological universe through the tempering of his unique artistic language, leveraging his ability to strike a balance between rationality and sensibility amid chaos. Chi forgoes the use of complex narratives in his paintings, instead producing works directly from his stream of consciousness. While they embody a natural visual style, it is equally evident that they involve a high degree of formal construction, with each component carefully constructed to convey the artist＆#039;s particular emotions. Although the paintings in this series appear to draw from the same palette, when viewed together, they produce an inexplicably mesmerizing visual effect.
Equanimity adopts the flow of time as a metaphor for the artist＆#039;s conceptual journey. Jason Chi reflects on his altered states of mind, induced in part by the pandemic, and he expresses his experiences through pure abstractions. The synergy between the aesthetic minimalism of his paintings and the manifold layers of interpretation they hold is sure to evoke a deep sense of emotional resonance with the viewer.
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▋About the Artist ▋
Born in Taichung, Taiwan in 1969, Jason Chi holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a dual bachelor＆#039;s degree in art and architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Chi has been traversing multiple identities as an artist, curator, collector, and art promoter for many years, and his steadfast determination in pursuing his ideas remains evident in his every move. The artist＆#039;s abundant sense of vitality distinguishes his paintings from more traditionally static works. His works are housed in the collections of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, and White Rabbit Gallery in Australia, as well as private collections. Jason Chi currently lives and works in Taichung, Taiwan.