Fou Gallery is pleased to present Frame, a two-person exhibition of Han Bing and Luka Rayski from March 29 through May 18, 2014. Young Chinese artist Han Bing’s recent oil paintings continue to explore the difference between natural and man-made landscapes, real and artificial space, framed reality and daily life. They are juxtaposed with Polish artist Luka Rayski’s small scale wood panel paintings. Those mixed media paintings are grouped and placed on found stretcher bars, resembling manipulated photography. To create these paintings, Luka designs a simple set of rules and follow them from beginning to end. The opening reception will take place on March 29th (Saturday, 5-9pm) at Fou Gallery.

Frame, as a visual device, is often used in art and literature to define space and create illusions. A flat image within the frame is conceived as a timeless visual presentation, affirming the boundary between the virtual and real worlds. In Oscar Wilde’s renowned novel Picture of Dorian Gray, the man-made portrait substitutes the reality and becomes a reminder of Gray’s act upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement on the painting’s surface. Bing and Luka are both interested in the manipulated reality created by mass media. Bing’s recent works are a step away from the narrative elements in her early paintings. Her recent series still features natural and artificial spaces – theaters, stages, buildings and imaginary places. They are based on found images from TV, film, newspaper photograph or other screen-based representations. The illusion generated by these theatric images is a key element of her practice. As she says: “The scenery and narrative in an image is like a thread but opens to millions of other possibilities.” However, in recent paintings, architectural elements are extracted and become more abstract. An image of a building’s exterior is appropriated in VOID 4. The terraced interior could evoke a familiarity of domestic elements but in a functionless way. The obscure and cool hue is interrupted by an irregular shape, creating another space within the domain.

Han Bing and Luka Rayski Frame installation,
Photography by Jessie Yang ? 2014, courtesy Fou Gallery

The small works on wood panels by Luka Rayski begin with his fascination of photography. Photography has largely challenged the way people perceive the world since its invention in 19th century. In his work, Luka tries to examine how photography and other mechanical-reproduction based media influenced less technology dependent techniques, such as painting. To make paintings out of “a painter’s hand,” Luka meticulously designs a set of rules that he could repeat and multiply many times, until the resulting images fill the whole surface. For instance, he will cover the entire surface of a painting with identical horizontal brushstrokes, and then wash it down in a sink. By repeating the gesture several times, the final work is a delicate balance between prediction and accident. The mechanical nature of these elements does not only challenge the difference between manpower and machine, but also demonstrates the natural limits of human gesture: The result won’t reveal itself until the very end, and no one can accurately duplicate the effect.

Han Bing, Void #4, oil on linen ? 2013-2014, courtesy Fou Gallery

About the artists

Han Bing (b.1986, Weifang, Shandong Province, China) graduated from Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing (B.F.A.) in 2008 and Parsons the New School for Design, New York (M.F.A.) in 2013. Han Bing has received prestigious awards such as the Research of Contemporary Oil Painting Award from the National Art Museum of China in 2008 and Outstanding Creation Award of Central Academy of Fine Arts Graduation Project in 2011. In 2012, her work was featured in Harper’s Magazine. Her recent shows include Solo Exhibition of HAN Bing at Antenna Space, Shanghai (2013), Homeward Found: Wassaic Project Summer Exhibition at Wassaic (2013), The Intelligence of Things: Parsons Fine Arts MFA Thesis Exhibition at The Kitchen, New York (2013).

Luka Rayski, On My Way, 6 mixed media paintings on claybord, found stretcher bar ? 2013-2014, courtesy Fou Gallery, Photo by Jessie Yang

Luka Rayski (b.1982, Warsaw, Poland) After studying briefly at the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Warsaw University (2001-2002) and Photography in Film School in Lodz (2001-2003), he graduated with honors from the M.F.A. Graphic Design program at Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 2009. He went on to receive another M.F.A. In the Fine Arts Department in Parsons the New School for Design, New York (2014). Rayski has been featured in many exhibitions in Poland and in the United States. His recent shows include States of Becoming at 25 East Gallery, New York (2013), Why Don’t All of Us Like Adventures: The Story About Janek Dziaczkowski at Center for Contemporary Art, Warsaw (2012), and Luka Rayski: CV at Chlodna 25, Warsaw (2010).

Han Bing and Luka Rayski Frame installation view,
Photography by Jessie Yang ? 2014, courtesy Fou Gallery

Courtesy of the artists and Fou Gallery.