Hand-inscribed photographs
72 x 90 cm
A series of photographs capturing nature while the mechanics of the camera breaks down and creates unexpected light and spectacles in nature.
Untitled I~VII
Month: October 2009
Water, Earth, and Air
A solo exhibition by Charwei Tsai
Curated by Suhanya Raffel
Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF), Sydney, Australia
23 October ~ 19 December 2009
and Sky Mantra, 2009, 3 Videos
Press Release: Buddhist mantras written on ice, tofu and lotus leaves that wither and fade achieve a heightened state of quiet reflection in Charwei Tsai’s work. This most accomplished 30-year-old’s video, photomedia, and performance works function as a meditation on life and death, on the ephemeral nature of existence and on art-making as a process.
The exhibition encourages viewers to take a moment out of their busy lives so as to ponder the relentless passage of time. All materials are sustainably sourced and renewable. Her approach is holistic and delicate, refined and reflective.
Dr. Gene Sherman, Executive Director of SCAF says, “Charwei achieves great simplicity in her work, yet delivers a sophisticated aesthetic. Tsai’s mantras free us from the tyranny of time, albeit for the briefest of moments. We meditate on life and death and experience the redemptive power of art as the tofu crumbles, the ice inevitably melts and the lotus flowers lose their bloom.”
Charwei Tsai’s series of intimate installations is presented in partnership with the
Queensland Art Gallery (QAG/GOMA) and is co-curated by the artist and Suhanya Raffel, Curatorial Manager, Asian and Pacific Art, QAG. Tsai will be artist-in-residence at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation throughout October during which time she will develop and realise the body of work for exhibition. Tsai will also show in the celebrated and star-studded Asia-Pacific Triennial, Brisbane from 5 December, 2009 to 5 April, 2010. A full colour catalogue published by Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation will accompany the exhibition. In addition, Charwei Tsai’s limited edition artist’s periodical, Lovely Daze, will be available for purchase through Words Etc., SCAF’s dedicated bibliotheka.
Sea Mantra
Photographs
89×127 and 127x81cm
Photographed in Sydney, Australia
Commissioned by Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sydney, Australia
This is part of a series of work that I am developing, Sky Mantra, Earth Mantra, and Sea Mantra, where I write the Heart Sutra onto a mirror reflecting changes in various environments. I try to capture the movements in the clouds, in the mountains, and in the sea. The element of the ephemeral found in nature reflect the core teaching of the Heart Sutra – emptiness.
Sea Mantra
Video
17 min 18 sec
Filmed in Sydney, Australia
Commissioned by Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sydney, Australia
This is part of a series of work that I am developing, Sky Mantra, Earth Mantra, and Sea Mantra, where I write the Heart Sutra onto a mirror reflecting changes in various environments. I try to capture the movements in the clouds, in the mountains, and in the sea. The element of the ephemeral found in nature reflect the core teaching of the Heart Sutra – emptiness.
Ice Explorations I~IV
Photography
90 x 111 cm
A series of four photographs capturing ice melting on a mirror reflecting the sky.
