Li Shun & Yao Peng: P to P

EVENT DESCRIPTION

For Leo Gallery’s new space in Hong Kong, we launch P to P, a joint exhibition by Li, Shun and Yao, Peng. The aim is to explore the reciprocal and ambiguous relationship between photography and painting through the works of two artists.

Li and Yao originate from different backgrounds unlike one another. They both chose painting as their tool of expression, though their creative approaches differ. Li’s works include photography, digital calligraphy, drawing and painting to demonstrate his philosophical concepts. Yao uses collage and oil painting with the sense of photo imagery to narrate his stories.

Li creates his “Brave New World” series with his “Wandering System”. During pandemic, he was staying at home and to see the outside world with Google Map. He selected photo images online, and drew their hyper-realistic negative images by hand. Then he photographed these negative imaged drawings to recreate the positive photo images again. Its result deceives the camera, the computer and the audience.

Yao’s latest series, “The Fog of Time” features works up to three meters in length. His creative process is based on the digestion and recreation of images. He selects the online images that will trigger his eager of expression and painting and tries to perceive his world with a computer screen.

Both artists’ works integrate their life experiences, philosophies, traditional painting techniques and self invented creative methods.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Li Shun (b 1988, Jiangsu, China)
Currently works and lives in Hangzhou, China

Graduated from the Intermedia Art Dept of the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou with a BA in 2011 and a MFA in 2015, Li Shun’s creative inspiration comes from photography, and light is an absolute protagonist in his work, the transformation between positive and negative images becomes the logical source of his works. His creations show a significant level of diversity, with a particular focus on the expressive capabilities of various media.

Li has received recognition for his work, including being featured in the Annual List of Chinese Photography (2020), receiving a nomination for the JIMEI x ARLES Discovery Award (2020) and a finalist in Sovereign Asian Art Prize (2023) to name a few. His works have been collected by numerous important art institutions such as Zhejiang Art Museum (Hangzhou), Guangdong Museum of Art (Guangzhou), Power Station of Art (Shanghai), Long Museum (Shanghai), Zhi Art Museum (Chengdu), Minsheng Art Museum (Beijing), Art Museum of Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo) and White Rabbit Gallery (Sydney) among others.

Yao Peng (b 1984, Jilin, China)
Currently works and lives in Beijing, China

Graduated from the Oil Painting Dept of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute with a BA in 2008 and a MFA in 2012, Yao Peng works in multiple media, including painting, installation art and digital platforms. The sources of his materials are varied, encompassing the internet, news articles, movies and photographs, these image resources serve as inspiration for his creations and are adapted to form a new artistic language.

Yao received the Luo Zhongli Scholarship, Chongqing Art Museum, China in 2012. His works have been collected by numerous important art institutions including White Rabbit Gallery (Sydney), He Xiangning Art Museum (Shenzhen), Yuz Museum (Shanghai) and Zhi Art Museum (Chengdu) among others.