Yuz Project Space of Art
Shara Hughes: The Bridge
Yuz Museum, West Bund, Shanghai
November 6, 2021 – January 9, 2022
Yuz Museum is pleased to present “Shara Hughes: The Bridge,” the first solo exhibition of the Brooklyn-based artist in Mainland China and a highlight of Art West Bund 2021 FW from November 6th, 2021 to January 9th, 2022 at Yuz Project Space of Art. Hughes’ latest landscape paintings transcend spirituality, which was inspired by physical nature, bridging fantasy and reality. “The Bridge” not only is an epitome of Hughes’ creative breakthrough during the pandemic, but extends to her profound understanding of life and death, man and universe, ephemerality and immortality.
Across Hughes’ oeuvre, the convergence of consciousness and instinct is demonstrated in her visual language that places between representation and abstraction. Informed by a deep knowledge of art history, her works also alludes to styles that mainly stem from “fin de siècle”, which in French describes end of the century. Hughes’ spontaneous approach with expressive brushworks, vibrant colours and infinite spectacle conveys her response to the inner and outer world. These featured works also transcends a pervading and exuberant rhythm, to which Roger Fry once described as “the emotional elements inherent in natural form are adequately discovered.”
This “nature” and “inspiration from within” characteristic is also apparent in the latest works of Shara Hughes. In particular, The Bridge, a twelve-meter commissioned painting inspired by the woods, cliffs and waterfalls alongside the Hudson River Valley in Catstill Mountains. The “first American landscape” nurtured countless American artists, such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Nevertheless, the narrative structure of this panoramic painting, from left to right suggests a visual similiarity in Classical Chinese Shanshui paintings. The decentralized composition of the painting proposes a philosophical perspective on the integral and perpetual link between human and nature, and extends to the circle of life. As for The Moon and The Sun as a duo, the pair shares the same shape and form, which beautifully complements each other, while displaying contrasted meanings, emotions, and a universal and open-ended interpretation for audiences to explore.
Canetti once said, ‘Montaigne the I-sayer. ‘I’ as space, not as position.’ By flowing with the change of the river, the change of the mountain, the change of the daylights, the change of the seasons, and the change of the stars, Shara Hughes constructs the “I” without “a goal in mind besides just staying true to what I know, which is myself”.
About the artist
Shara Hughes (b. 1981, Atlanta, GA) earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and later attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, now lives and works in Brooklyn. The artist has exhibited widely in museums and institutions. Her solo exhibitions include: “On Edge”, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, St. Louis, 2021; “Shara Hughes”, Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, 2021; “Pivot”, Le Consortium, Dijon, 2021; “Return of Light”, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, 2021; “Unmanageable,” Pilar Corrias, London, 202o; “In Lieu of Flowers, ” Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York, 2019; “Shara Hughes,” The Arts Club, London, 2018; “Sun Salutations,” Newport Art Museum, Newport, 2018 and etc. Group shows include: “America Will Be! Surveying the Contemporary Landscape,” Dallas Art Museum, Dallas, 2019; “Present Tense: Selections from the Lenhardt Collection,” Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, 2018; and “The Lure of the Dark: Contemporary Painters Conjure the Night,” MASS MoCA, North Adams, 2018. Hughes’ work also belongs to many prominent collections, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Whitney Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Denver Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, Jorge M. Perez Collection, Rachofsky Collection, among others.
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 provides 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.
Exhibitions at Yuz Museum are organized in partnership with LACMA and Qatar Museums
About Yuz Museum
Yuz Museum Shanghai, officially opened in May of 2014, is a contemporary art museum founded by Mr. Budi Tek, a Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector. The museum is located on Shanghai’s West Bund and plays an important role in the West Bund Cultural Corridor. Yuz Museum is committed to drawing the world’s attention to Shanghai, advancing the development of contemporary Chinese art, actively engaging in the field of art education, and promoting cultural dialogues between East and West. As a non-profit institution, the museum aims to serve as a leader in exhibiting contemporary Chinese art and to build a preeminent reputation for contemporary art in China. Designed by acclaimed Japanese architect, Sou Fujimoto, the museum was renovated from an old hangar of the former Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory.
Location: 35 Fenggu Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China 200232. yuzmshanghai.org
Press Contact: For additional information, contact YUZ Communications at press@yuzmshanghai.org or +86 021-64261901
About LACMA
Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of nearly 142,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the region’s rich cultural heritage and diverse population. LACMA’s spirit of experimentation is reflected in its work with artists, technologists, and thought leaders as well as in its regional, national, and global partnerships to share collections and programs, create pioneering initiatives, and engage new audiences.
Location: 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. lacma.org
Press Contact: For additional information, contact LACMA Communications at press@lacma.org or 323 857-6522
About Qatar Museums
Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves,restores,and expands thenation’scultural offeringsand historical sites, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations,educate and encourage environmental stewardship and sustainable practices, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, and the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival. Future projects include the soon to open 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, and Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar.
Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival and the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design M7—that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention.
