Fou?Gallery?is?pleased?to?present?New?York?based?artist?Meng?Du’s?solo?exhibition,? Meng?Du:?The?Climb, The?Fall from June 25 through August 7, 2016. The exhibition will showcase a selection of glass works by the artist that address profound?notions?of?personal?moments?and?memories. The?opening?reception?will?take place on June 25.
The title “The Climb, The Fall” (Chinese title: 退火 (tuì huǒ) ) refers to the glassmaking process of “annealing” in which hot glass is slowly cooled to relieve internal stresses after the shape has been formed. Glass which has not been annealed is liable to cracking or shattering when subjected to a relatively small temperature change or mechanical shock. Following the concept of “more haste, less speed” behind “annealing,” Meng Du involves her philosophy and understanding of life with her artworks and related project Tui Glass Projects thoroughly.
The works in the exhibition range from painting and sculpture to installation, and show Meng Du’s diverse explorations of glass. Since 2010, Meng Du has concentrated on incorporating drawings and illustrations into the surface treatments and imaging techniques of glass, which create a subtle language that depicts an indescribable state of shifting that is eternal in the mind. Seen as a way of representing the nostalgic feelings and memories of certain times and places, these narrative glass pieces not only record the artist’s life experience, but also portray a sophisticated, yet refreshing world through the varied lustrous forms of glass. Inspired by poetic imagination, Meng Du’s works engage with the dream-like past, translate quotidian scenes into the fleeting present, and construct a place where she wishes to inhabit in the future. As artist Michael Rogers commented on Meng Du’s work: “In this way, the artist becomes a conduit through which the past, present and future passes.”
In Meng Du’s work, everyday objects are interwoven with natural images that capture the scattered feelings active in her memories, perceptions, and states of mind. By carving the shapes of antique furniture into old frames and mirrors collected from vintage stores, Meng Du endows daily items, such as chairs, chests and dressers with soul and life. Likewise, gray flowers and a young girl who appears as if she is from a fairy tale are featured on a pane of transparent round glass, interspersed with tawny traces that imply the remnants of memory. As seen through the depiction of a cross-legged fawn, a girl holding flowers, and flying birds on ink paper, Meng Du tends to recount her experiences and thoughts in a quiet, emotional way. While looking into her stories of time and places, audiences are able to recall their own moments of fantasy, mingling with personal, subtle sentiments that might have been lost over time.
About the artist
Meng Du (b.1986, Beijing, China) graduated from the Graphic Design program of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing (B.F.A.) in 2008 and the Glass Program of Rochester Institute of Technology (M.F.A.) in 2013. Currently, she lives and works in Rochester, New York as part of the artist in residence program at RIT. Her work has continued to exhibit in China, Europe, and in the United States. Her recent exhibitions include: The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa at Shiinoki Cultural Complex, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan (2016)? Flow Grow: 2015 Qingdao Contemporary Glass Art Exhibition at Qingdao (2015) and Design Shanghai 2013 City of Craft and Design at Power Station of Art, Shanghai (2013). In June 2016, she has her first solo exhibition in New York: Meng Du: The Climb, The Fall at Fou Gallery, New York (2016).
Website: www.mengduwork.com
About the gallery
Fou Gallery is an apartment gallery and creative lab based in New York. Fou is dedicated to promote creative talents and projects of our time. As suggested by its name, Fou is a denial of the mainstream commercial gallery model and an active contributor to a new organic art community. With the belief that enjoying art is an essential part of everyday life, Fou offers a vibrant, enjoyable and inspirational selection of original works in art and design. Website: www.fougallery.com
The exhibition is made possible with the support from Cloud Printing , a professional printing studio in New York. Cloud Printing offers state-of-the-art printing experiences for emerging artists, fashion designers, and startup companies, ranging from solo printing jobs to a combination of designing, consulting, and printing. Website: www.printing2cloud.com
About the exhibition
Date: June 25—August 7, 2016
Opening Reception: June 25, 2016, 5-8 pm. RSVP required (RSVP here: https://goo.gl/QqRmcc, or email info@fougallery.com)
Location: Fou Gallery, 410 Jefferson Ave, #1, Brooklyn, New York, NY11221
Hours: Saturday 10am - 6 pm, or by appointment (info@fougallery.com)
Press Contact: Ning Ding (pr@fougallery.com? 1.347.326.1580)
Exhibition Support: Cloud Printing NYC
Courtesy of the artist and Fou Gallery, for further information please visit www.fougallery.com.
