Ora Ora is proud to present Zhang Yanzi’s latest creative work series, “Seclusion,” an expose of the artist’s exploration, interpretation and introspection of her observations and personal experience of solitude. While the series continue Zhang’s exploration in contemporary Chinese Ink art form and more avant-garde installation extrapolations, she has also incorporated ceramic shingles from traditional Chinese architecture as a new media to her array of expression.

Seclusion also represents Zhang’s interest and study into the paradoxical social norms of self-administered solidarity and involuntary societal pressures. With modern day drastic advancement in telecommunication Technology and perceived open mindedness, the artist is fascinated by the growing atrophy of heartfelt exchange and quality of communication. In particular, many people, including the artist, have found gratification through the reliance and dependence on self-inflicted hermitage, such as the sprawling world of virtual reality and Japanese phenomenon Otaku. Implicitly, Zhang also reflects on such parody as an intricate part of her circle of life.

In this series, Zhang carefully unfolds her analyses with graphic depictions of common yet scathing items used for home defense and protection. Through Zhang's masterful contemporary Chinese ink techniques, she continues her motif of Remedy and ingeniously overlays it with intricate and sterile portrayal of the destructive nature of self-preservation. While there is pleasure and healing from the solitude, destruction and suffering may also closely follow. Whether it is the harpooned fences, Barbwires or tall bamboo privets, they represent an oppressive symbol of both an anti-social disapproval and incarcerated solidarity. Through these works, the artist challenges us to reconsider the message and value of our own protective and divisive mechanisms.

From an artistic development perspective, Zhang has specially created for the show the “Bamboo Forest”, an immersive masterpiece that exhibits the artist’s expansive rendition of physical entanglement and internal conflicts from seclusion, intertwined with soothing philosophical rhetoric excerpts from Chinese and western philosophers exotically scribed through ink calligraphy on the bamboo stills and ceramic shingles.

As Zhang finds true enjoyment and escape from the idea of periodic seclusion and withdrawal, Bamboo Forest is her first cooperative creation with her daughter, ShenCai, to mimic the state of solidarity through the creation of a soundtrack that requires both peace and readiness for an introspection from the viewer.

Zhang attempts to expose on the unending endeavours by man to understand and represent reality through philosophical distillation into plain and incorruptible components that are relatable to us: Numbers, perspective, colours, strokes, being and frequencies. Reality will never change and won’t be fundamentally altered.

Zhang continues to explore the interplay between modern anxiety and its antidote. She focuses on spirituality and imagery, rather than concepts and ideas. Her masterful compilation continues to deliver drastic contrast, yet beautifully executed in harmony.