Efflorescence

UNIX Gallery presents Efflorescence, featuring new and unique works from Zhuang Hong Yi, Ellen de Meijer, Gavin Rain, and Alexi Torres. Efflorescence is on view at UNIX Gallery, 532 W 24th St. New York, NY, from June 25 - August 22, 2015. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2015 from 6 - 8 PM.

Zhuang Hong Yi’s Chinese training combined with Western Impressionist elements produces a vast collection of work. With studios in Beijing and Amsterdam, this cross-cultural artist brings traditional Chinese motifs such as rice paper and ink into the modern era, fusing contemporary form and culturally significant media. A graduate of the SiChuan College of Fine Arts, China and Academy Minerva, the Netherlands, Zhuang Hong Yi has participated at Art Basel Scope (2009); Art HongKong (2009); Art Paris (2010); and Art Amsterdam (2011).

Ellen de Meijer’s paints a unique contrast of tension and pathos. Her portraits show figures of successful repute, yet vulnerable with an empty gaze. They are armed with digital gadgets, which refer to our zeitgeist of access to information and power. This proliferation of technology becomes a point of dependency while human instincts docilely move to the background. Often they brandish small, bizarre objects or wear gloves symbolic of a societal obsession with sterilization and unattainable perfection. “Our human instincts have not changed, despite that our modern society often expects us to ignore these. It’s this tension that inspires my work,” says de Meijer.

Gavin Rain draws from traditional pointillist studies with a mix of the Russian avant-garde of the early 1900’s and modern digital images. His layering of styles communicates a particular message: “I usually dislike art that doesn’t communicate anything.” Rain’s works aims to stimulate the eye and mind simultaneously, creating a constant fluctuation of information being transmitted between the work and the viewer. Educated in Art and Neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town, Rain has been featured in the 2011 Venice Biennale, TEFAF Maastricht, and has commissioned portraits for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in his home country.

Alexi Torres’ paintings are surrounded by an exceptional complexity. He creates a mysterious perception of understanding and surprise in the human mind. Unable to consciously understand or articulate the reason, it converses to our deepest senses by seeing through the need of a critical viewpoint. Addressing the urgency to recover balance and harmony with the environment, Torres paints meticulously detailed leaves, feathers, and other organic materials. Says Torres, “that’s my way to show our interconnection with each other…on a physical and spiritual level.”