Whenever I visit the White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale, I’m reminded of what a privilege it is to be able to view this astonishing collection of contemporary Chinese art. The gallery is owned and funded by Judith Nielson, the exhibitions are curated by David Williams, and entry continues to be completely free.
The Dark Matters is currently on display, showcasing select pieces with a primary focus on black, white and grey tones, with only the occasional splash of colour. Williams has curated a cohesive, brilliantly presented exhibition, with artworks perfectly complemented by their surroundings.
As always, we began on the top floor.
Yang Mushi’s Grinding is a collection of over a thousand hand-hewn, black lacquered wooden blocks. The polished aluminium base makes it difficult to distinguish where each piece ends and its reflection begins…
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Contemporary Chinese art is often full of angst and pain, so it was a joy to view husband and wife Kung Wen-Yi and Ko Yu-Cheng’s Water Drops, a Buddhist-inspired work which “celebrate(s) rain as an analogy for creative imagination”…
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One of my favourite works of the exhibition was hidden away behind the elevators!
Chen Chun-Hao’s Twelve Animals – Rabbit, Monkey, Chicken are “drawings” made with headless nails, hammered in from the back. At first glance, they appear clever, but on closer inspection, they’re actually genius…
The details of the animals – hair, fur, feathers, mouths, eyes and ears – are all carefully “drawn” by the shadows cast by the nails…
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Chang Nai-Wen’s AIP-PF is a series of three marble sculptures, each enlarging and enhancing the details of the previous one, adding extra “pixels” (detail) with each step, much as a 3D digital printer would do…
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I think art succeeds when it elicits a true emotional response in the viewer. Wen-Ying Huang’s Searching II is an intriguing and haunting work, created on a computerised loom which enabled the artist to “hide” a second image woven with reflective thread, and revealed only when illuminated by flashlight. In its unlit form, it’s deceptively drap and grey.
When I shone a torch over the fabric, I felt shaken and teary – the glowing scene of armed soldiers and someone cowering in fear made me feel as if I’d exposed them with my light. Powerful stuff indeed, at least for me.
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This is just a tiny snippet of The Dark Matters exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery. Because of the focus on black, it’s difficult to capture many of the pieces in photos, so it’s definitely worth a visit in person!
White Rabbit Gallery
30 Balfour Street
Chippendale NSW 2008
Open 10am to 5pm, Wed-Sun.
The Dark Matters exhibition runs until 30 July 2017
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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 