In “of,”  Brooklyn-based artist Craig Jun Li assembles a world of shifting references where the image and its physical counterpart intermingle, unraveling familiar structures of recognition and meaning. This exhibition at RAINRAIN, on view from September 13–October 26, 2024, offers a speculative investigation into the fragility of understanding, realized through a play of misrecognition and tactile curiosity. Each sculptural and printed piece operates less as a concrete object and more as a probing into how we process images, materials, and the in-between state where perception falls short.

We are traversing a fragmented narrative, layered with Li’s found objects, printed materials, and ghostly recreations as they take on invasive three-dimensional and sensorial forms. With each stretch and fragment they fuse together, the truth of the subject becomes distorted by the frame that allows each piece to function. The mode of display is now front and center. Minimalist stands evoke hybrid images, their presence echoing everything from street market displays in Chinatown to the spare installations of post-minimalism, blurring lines of categorization even further. We are now positioned in an eerie liminal space between the aesthetic and the anthropological. 

“of“ exists is the ephemeral gap between the image and its origins, interrogating how historical constructs of knowledge itself are made slippery and fragmentary. The neutrality and truth we often feel are implied in photographs and archives become uncertain. Through Li’s handling of these perishable materials, these objects transcend the historical narratives and their real-world counterparts, inviting the viewer into a space where our perceptions shift, forcing a “second look.”

Walking through the space, Li plays with a variety of media that defy immediate interpretation, crossing boundaries between two- and three-dimensional, fact and perception. The assumption that we ‘know’ what an object is, how the narrative is unfolding, and even the historical accuracy of their context are called into question. Placed together, pieces from Li’s “pic” series are carefully color coordinated and paired with pieces from his “unknown” and “pm” series, as if we are combing through some obscure system of classification. While the works from “unknown” and “pm” present a more fixed, archival presence with their film and painted silicone, they are harshly juxtaposed by the kinetic nature of “pic”. Layered with mesh over aluminum stretcher bars, images of everyday life in Li’s Tribeca apartment overlaid with images from the gardens of Northern China Li left behind, now move, bend, and contort as wooden clubs push and pull from behind the surface of the artwork. The act of documenting and truly knowing a place becomes fluid, complex, and even ghostly as we enter into Li’s personal act of remembrance. 

Moving away from the gallery walls, we encounter “work”, a piece Li created with contributions from Clare Hu, that invades our physical space as its two displays stretch across the gallery floor. Artifacts, ruins, or the foundations of what once was conjure recollections of a marketplace, an archive, or even gothic architecture, as the seemingly defunct wooden frame is home to groups of various objects. From printed newspapers to scientific slides of condensation patterns being created in real time, the detached nature of data collection, interpretation, and analysis is disoriented. Entranced by the infinite changes around each new corner of the piece, we as viewers cannot help but reconsider the relationship and production of ‘fact’ that happens between subject, image, and production in our contemporary society.

Li’s presentation of works defies the static presentation often expected of gallery installations. Each piece feels animate, fluctuating between the recognizable and the unfamiliar, moving us through a field of interpretations that seems to drift as we navigate the space. Li’s manipulation of forms and frames destabilizes the ways we traditionally relate to objects. With a sense of play and discovery in the face of inevitable misrecognition, we leave behind the quest for the subject and are now stumbling amidst the framework of the systems of understanding themselves. We are left, ultimately, with a lingering sense of unfulfilled comprehension, yet perhaps more attuned to the delicate strands of cognition that link objects, images, and ourselves.

Review by Shannon Permenter
Image Credit: Courtesy of RAINRAIN, New York
Photos documentation by Marc Tatti, and Craig Jun Li

Exhibition is currently on view at https://www.rainraingallery.com

Shannon Permenter is a freelance writer and art historian based in Arizona. After completing her Masters in History & Theory of Contemporary Art from the San Francisco Art Institute she has channeled her passion for the arts into a career helping artists, curators, and nonprofits share their work with the world.

Be it in the past or a speculative future, “Intermingling” walks us through the stories of a world teetering in its stability between the forces of nature and the detrimental presence of mankind. This solo exhibition by Minnesota-born, Hong Kong-raised, and Brooklyn-based oil painter Timon I, captures an unparalleled surreal omniscience as time, place, and perspective continually shift, not only from painting to painting but often within a singular composition. “Intermingling,” on view at VillageOneArt Gallery in Chelsea from July 25th through September 7th, drew on the parallels of Timon I’s work with the gallery’s vision, redefining the boundaries of temporal perception to allow each of us to dig deeper into understanding the balance of nature and the industrialization of man. 

This exhibition is an entryway into the worldbuilding of Timon I. Throughout his work, his personal juggling of the urban and rural environments, taken from his lived experiences, has been translated into anthropological and even archeological explorations across time. Figuration and perspective are masterfully altered to transform the microscopic and macroscopic elements of the everyday into patterns, forms, and geometries bordering on the fantastical. His narratives remove the human element, leaving only the objects, actions, and spaces we inhabit, now positioned as artifacts that simultaneously clash and coalesce among a natural world that existed long before our arrival and undoubtedly outlive each of us.

Traversing the gallery space, Timon I’s paintings of compiled vignettes flow into large, singular scenes. What would be presumed to be a jarring shift in approach to composition in turn allows us to reposition, refocus, and reexamine the underlying themes of this world Timon is presenting to us; allowing his established works to blend seamlessly with his new unexhibited paintings. His dream world is expanding before our eyes. 

Entranced by the beauty of the earth and the familiarity of the surroundings, he reconceives the idea of everyday life, the mundane, the routine, within his new environmental narratives. His loose technical approach preserves each form while allowing a fuzziness to invade each piece, forging a visceral feeling for the viewer of trying to recollect a dream or memory. Whether it be puddles of water, rather than murky, now embody the jagged brutalist skyline of a metropolis or a lone couch now displaced along the shore, viewers become aware that the contradictions of the world we believed we grasped are now upended as the balance between nature and man shifts within Timon I’s universe.

“Speed N Light” epitomizes the ambiguity that arises from Timon I’s manipulation of contradictions. Here, in two stacked panels, we see the tail end of a car zooming past in the twilight juxtaposed with a tornado touching down and raging across the earth in the dead of night. With a palette of ominous tones, we are reminded of the unsettling fact that human capability to create machines with such power and speed now rivals that of one of nature’s most catastrophic elements. The paradox between the two is heightened as his textured application of oil paints creates a sense of opposing movement. While maintaining the intensity of the medium, he creates a series of subtle lines running in perpendicular directions. The car speeding horizontally out of frame is mimicked in his painterly movements. At the same time, the depiction of the tornado sweeps up the earth towards the sky. The loose and mysterious narrative leaves us questioning which event precipitated the other—was it the storm forcing a desperate flee or did the vehicle’s power lead to the force of natural destruction across this landscape?

Channeling his signature neo-Cubist perspective, Timon I’s “Mirage” allows us to enter a residential space filled with rooms and hallways. The central image is surrounded by individual squares, each a different scene, a different element to the story unfolding. Each panel is a different space, time, and vantage point. With each glimpse, we see plant life invading the space: vines crawling through doors, petals fusing with the patterns of the walls, and growths emerging dripping from light fixtures. The central image becomes a chandelier of light and foliage where each outstretched arm culminates. Shimmering contrasts of color, graceful lines, and a composition that repeatedly forces viewers to reconfigure their perspectives exemplifies how Timon I’s non-linear storytelling shakes loose our complacency with the relationships we have formed with nature, technology, and society.

The immersive experience of “Intermingling” draws viewers into a realm of dichotomies, where day merges with night, the micro expands to the macro, and the boundaries between light and dark dissolve. Timon I masterfully intertwines the first- and third-person perspectives with two- and three-dimensional spaces, allowing each visitor to embed their narratives into the unfolding stories within his work. As man-made and nature intertwine, a palpable tension between the known and the unknown leaves us surprised and challenged by the simple shifting of our perceptions. Envisioning ourselves in the world of Timon I, the familiarity of our everyday lives is called into question, allowing each of us to create our own dream worlds that defy our understanding of reality.

Exhibition is currently on view at https://villageoneart.com

Review by Shannon Permenter

Shannon Permenter is a freelance writer and art historian based in Arizona. After completing her Masters in History & Theory of Contemporary Art from the San Francisco Art Institute she has channeled her passion for the arts into a career helping artists, curators, and nonprofits share their work with the world.

On June 23, 2024, Li Tang Community and A Space presented the group exhibition “On Broadway Street” in Brooklyn, New York, featuring eight Chinese artists living in New York City. This exhibition, a collaborative effort between Li Tang and A Space, unfolds a unique narrative that highlights the vibrancy of the artists’ creative practices alongside their personal journeys in New York.

Li Tang Community was founded in April 2020 in New York, dedicated to amplifying the voices of Asian diaspora artists. A Space is an artist team rooted in New York and Beijing, providing a platform for young artists to showcase their creativity and contemporary artworks in recent years. Supported by Asian Art Contemporary, “On Broadway Street” integrates the significant contributions of Li Tang Community and A Space to artistic diversity, individuality, and creative practice, offering a stage for dialogue and exchange. The eight participating artists are Sunny Moxin Chen, Shiqing Chen, Sherly Fan, Cheng Gong, Alice Yutong Hua, Danyang Anna Song, Xingze Li, and Jingyi Wang, curated by Webson Ji.

“Broadway,” a well-known cultural symbol of New York, is a must-visit destination for tourists from around the world. Walking on Broadway Street easily brings to mind images of New York’s iconic theatre district, renowned for its dazzling lights and grand performances. However, this exhibition redefines Broadway, viewing it not only as a symbol of cultural influence but also as a common street scene weaving through the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the Bronx. We are on Broadway to enjoy a great show; we are on Broadway to get another day’s groceries. The “On Broadway Street” group exhibition invites viewers into a dialogue about living in New York City, from young artists who have just graduated from art colleges to professional artists who have been living in the city for over ten years, through a series of artist panel discussions and media promotion.

Artist Sunny Moxin Chen is a Chinese multidisciplinary artist and educator who migrated to the U.S. in 2013 and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Chen delves into the complexities of home, intimate relationships, and spiritual presence within physical spaces. Her exhibited work “The Sun” combines oil on canvas, spray paint, paint, and paper collage, blending abstract and figurative elements to create a multilayered visual experience. Artist Danyang Anna Song, originally from China, holds a bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University and an MFA in ceramics, along with a collegiate teaching in art & design certificate, from the Rhode Island School of Design. Song currently works as a faculty member and ceramic studio manager at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and her works have been exhibited in renowned institutions and galleries worldwide. Her exhibited works “A Drop of Positivity” and “Finding the Balance-1” explore the balance between traditional ceramic craftsmanship and modern ceramic techniques from both emotional and technical perspectives, visualizing intangible emotions and the human spiritual world.

Photographer Cheng Gong was born in Hunan, China. He graduated with a degree in environmental art design from Donghua University, Shanghai, a master’s degree in project management from Northeastern University, Boston, and a master’s degree in photography, video, and related media from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His exhibited work “Culinary Canvases – Stir-fried Pork with Pepper” combines Chinese food with self-painted oil painting backgrounds. Cheng uses the ingredients of a Chinese dish as elements, serving as catalysts for introspection and dialogue, encouraging viewers to explore the intricate interplay between personal identity and social dynamics. Artist Sherly Fan was born and raised in Wuhan, China. She holds a bachelor’s degree in textile and fashion design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an associate’s degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She received her MFA from Duke University in 2023. Her works engage in multidimensional storytelling and interactive installations. “CAN YOU TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY (CYTTS)” is a multimedia interactive exhibition and an experimental short film featuring a collection of work focused on “Sherly” as an artistic character. This character embodies an imaginative childlike narrative style and nostalgic cute aesthetics to explore subjects including gender representation, generational confusion, and the exploration of self-identity.

Artist Xingze Li was born in Yan’an, China, and is a visual artist residing in Brooklyn. He holds a bachelor’s degree in oil painting from Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts and a master’s degree in painting from Pratt Institute. Li’s works combine photography and painting, evoking everyday experiences of the phenomenal world through the depiction of natural and artificial light effects. He captures fleeting light and shadows in space with his phone lens, transforming those emotional moments into image installations. Artist Alice Yutong Hua is an interdisciplinary artist with a B.A. in studio art, minoring in chemistry and music, from Colby College in Maine, and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Hua’s works are based on personal visual recording, documenting memories, traces, and even the passage of time in her daily life. Collecting and replaying these records built up the initial motivation for Hua’s installation projects and paintings.

Artist Jingyi Wang is a New York-based visual artist specializing in oil painting. She received her BFA degree from China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2013 and her MFA degree from the New York Academy of Art in 2016. Her artworks focus on the relationship between nature and culture. Cacti-human beings reflect the biological and psychological aspects of life, approaching the subtle and intimate intersubjectivity of humanity. With these elements and colors, Jingyi Wang extends human bodies to the ground and mother nature, creating space for dialogue and collaboration between humans and nature. Shiqing Chen is a new media artist and designer based in Brooklyn. Her work and research primarily focus on using data as an entry point to explore cross-media storytelling and visual communication through changes in time. Her exhibited work “Temporary Space” consists of Pt.1 video and Pt.2 digital installation, summarizing her recent interest in themes such as urban life, time, and construction sites, exploring the relationship between “temporality” in urban systems and “permanent spaces.”

Webson Ji, creative director of Li Tang Community and curator of the exhibition, said, “Curating an exhibition that explores the creative ecology of artists is both interesting and thought-provoking for me. The unique visual languages of the eight artists’ works reflect their highly creative thinking and the different life choices they make living in New York City. They are at different career stages, yet each shines in their own way.” Vic Fu, one of the co-founders of A Space, highly praised the exhibition, “On Broadway Street is a captivating exhibition that profoundly showcases the unique creative perspectives and personal journeys of eight artists. It creates a vivid dialogue between diverse artistic expressions and cultural narratives. Each piece tells a story of the intersection of identity, life, and creation. This exhibition not only celebrates the diversity of art but also invites the audience to reflect on how to find their own place and sense of belonging in an ever-changing world. It bears witness to the creative spirit and cultural vitality of Chinese artists in New York, providing a rich and thought-provoking artistic experience that deeply resonates with our times.”

During the exhibition, Li Tang Community and A Space also provided opportunities for the eight artists to engage in artist talks, where they shared their views on topics such as life in New York, changes in perspectives over the past few years, and the influences of local communities. As artists playing leading roles in the industry living in New York, their insights and experiences continuously empower the active voices and creativity of the Asian art community. The exhibition runs from June 23 to July 13 and is open to the public for free.

(Text by Webson Ji, images courtesy of Li Tang Community and A Space)