Raúl Hernández Only Wind

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Yrellag Gallery proudly presents “Only Wind”, a solo exhibition by Spanish artist Raúl Hernández, featuring a series of photography which was taken over five years ago regarding the drift among the exile leaving far away from their motherland. The exhibition opening will be held on Saturday, 18 November 2023, 6 – 8 p.m. with the artist present, and will be on view till 2 December 2023.

Raúl, was once an outsider in Hong Kong, he started his journey with his broken English and ignorance of Cantonese and met different people such as refugees and domestic workers. In order to integrate into the city, he learned along the way and left behind those things that were considered essential in his homeland. Hong Kong as a hub of Chinese and Western culture, Raúl was gradually influenced by Chinese Taoist thought, especially Laozi’s recognition and affirmation of “little things” and the acceptance of losses in the Tao Te Ching. Accepting the complete transformation in identity and daily life, Raúl sees every change as part of the process, which forms his perception of life.

This exhibition titled “Only Wind” which is taken from the book Tao Te Ching by Laozi, whose philosophy permeated his adaption over the years. Under “Only Wind”, fragments of life are captured. A slight smile, a pair of special hands, and a series of mark-making constitute the cognition of Hong Kong from the perspective of the artist. The text fragments accompanying the photos in this exhibition are adapted from the book In the Presence of Absence by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, delving into the drift between home and exile.