As 2022 draws to a close, Su Xiaobai’s blue palette comes to mind amidst the turmoil of the world. Out of several conversations with the artist emerged an idea of organizing a blue monochrome exhibition at Tina Keng Gallery, titled Su Xiaobai: Blue. It is not because Su prefers these blue representations of varying shades and sizes, but because he thought it would be interesting to observe a single color at a time.
The cover of Ulysses, a novel by modernist author James Joyce published in 1922, is a light shade of blue. This first edition of Ulysses enthralled Su and his old friend when they chanced upon it in Paris. How to re-create this shade of blue has since haunted Su’s practice. But how to paint a blue that carries the warmth of a body remains elusive.
These works of lacquer — each a nuanced tint of blue — coalesce into a palimpsest of layered poetry and chiseled time.
► Su Xiaobai: Blue
Dates｜12.17.2022–02.18.2023
Venue｜Tina Keng Gallery (3F, No. 15, Ln. 548, Ruiguang Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei, Taiwan 11492)
