No.8, Lane 123, Panding Road
Qingpu District, Shanghai
Yuz Project Space of Art × Xue Zhu Bower
Yuz Museum is pleased to present “Painters & Portraits,” the first institutional solo exhibition of the artist Grace Weaver in Mainland China, from October 28, 2023 to February 25, 2024 at the Yuz Project Space of Art.
Weaver’s artistic oeuvre is an exploration of a nuanced and somewhat enigmatic sentiment associated with the “liminal space.” Her creative practice deftly captures the evanescent fragments of everyday existence through an acute intuition, offering an exposition of the uncanny that resides within quotidian life. Weaver’s work serves as an in-depth contemplation of the essence of painting – a medium that occupies the intermediary realm between mirror and statue, both the object and the subject of projection. Through her portrayal of contemporary life’s ephemeral moments, the artist unravels the dynamic interplay between art and the mundane, the self and subjectivity, as well as existence and reality.
Weaver’s art discloses a continuum of art historical undercurrents, echoing the elusive countenance found in Byzantine portraiture and the Baroque penchant for the hyperbolic representation of the human body. Nonetheless, having long been entrenched in the midst of New York City’s mundane yet frenetic urban milieu, the artist has consciously veered away from grandiose classical narratives. She purposefully elects to spotlight the inconspicuous instances that dwell outside life’s monumental storyline. These scenes, akin to contemporary genre paintings, depict banal objects within the urban stage: half-open computer screens, scattered mobile phone charger cords, dim smartphone screens, dripping paintbrushes and blue rags… all these elements formulate an ultra-mundane panorama, which lingers in a realm of meaningless ambivalence, resembling snapshots of modern life, akin to a mirror that permits and accommodates projection from observers. Simultaneously, it transcends individual limitations and temporal constraints to realize a statuelike timelessness. Weaver depicts these ineffable moments in the form of large-scale history paintings, leading observers into a realm of heightened introspection, facilitating a nuanced reconsideration of one’s own being.
This exhibition showcases a collection of Weaver’s recent works from 2023, emblematic of a pivotal juncture in the artist’s creative trajectory. This inflection steers her towards a profound interiority, inviting an exploration of the artist’s identity and the very act of artistic creation itself. The exhibition unfolds an intricate and winding visual landscape in which the self, the self-portrait, and the medium of painting each exudes distinct subjectivities. The canvas carrying this ensemble evokes a self-awareness that renders the viewer conscious of the gazes outside of the frame. Weaver accentuates the materiality of painting with her coarse and spontaneous brushwork, reminiscent of sculpture. This approach forms the basis for constructing an intricate inner mental landscape, akin to Wu Hung’s concept of “the Double Portrait” or Lacan’s “the Gaze.” Through the interplay between the painter and the portrayed, the artist delves into the dialectical correlation between the “self” and “self-consciousness.” Notably, these works were conceived respectively in the artist’s studio in New York City and during a residency in Marfa, Texas. While the styles of these two cities may appear divergent, their impact on the denizens is consistent: each locale offers a confined space for self-examination within the hubbub of city life or an enclave amidst the expanse of nature. These surroundings compel individuals to redirect their attention from external distractions toward introspection, internal strife, struggle and eventual acceptance.
About the Artist
Grace Weaver (b. 1989, Vermont, USA) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Solo exhibitions of the artist’s work have been held in international institutions including Oldenburger Kunstverein (2019); Kunstpalais Erlangen (2019); Kunstverein Reutlingen (2017); and DakshinaChitra, Chennai (2012). Weaver’s work has also been exhibited in group exhibitions including Braunsfelder, Cologne (2022); Wilhelm Hallen, Berlin (2022); Miettinen Collection, Berlin (2022); Neue Galerie, Gladbeck (2022); Villa Merkel, Esslingen (2022); Kunstmuseum Ravensburg (2021); Galerie Wedding, Berlin (2018); ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Aarhus (2016); University of Georgia (2015); Burlington City Arts (2013); Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington (2012); Colburn Gallery, University of Vermont, Burlington (2011); and Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne (2010). Weaver’s works are in the collections of ARoS Aarhus Art Museum; FRAC des Pays de la Loire, Carquefou; Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf; Pizzuti Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art and Yuz Foundation.
About Yuz Project Space of Art
Yuz Project Space of Art (PSA) is an independent program launched in partnership with Yuz Museum in September 2015. Known for public-access, Yuz Project Space of Art invites artists to create site-specific works or projects where it engages boldly with the museum, the surroundings and audiences. Combining “a project + an exhibition,” the program aims to present the interaction between the artists, time, and space.
Yuz Project Space of Art is where innovation and creation cross path. It provided an innovative platform for artists, both Chinese and international, to use this space to generate conversations toward each other with their own unique and groundbreaking artworks. Furthermore, the space invites artists to breakthrough their usual practice and explore all kinds of possibilities of Contemporary art.
About Xue Zhu Bower
Xue Zhu Bower is a timber structure courtyard building. The name of the building is to commemorate Huai Feng who was a Ming Dynasty poet in Panlong. A Ming Dynasty scholar named Youguang Gui once wrote a book Xue Zhu Bower of Xue Zhu Bower which has been passed down so far.
Exhibitions at Yuz Museum are organized in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Qatar Museums
Press Contact: For additional information, contact YUZ Communications at press@yuzmshanghai.org.
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