In Flux: Rhythms of Life at Lipont Gallery explores 3 artists’ works on ecology and emotion

Themes of aquatic thinking inspired by visits to a Vancouver Island beach, vibrant art that speaks to the human senses, and paintings exploring creative fluidity are brought together at Lipont Gallery in Richmond.

The In Flux: Rhythms of Life exhibit presents works by Vancouver-based artists Sichen Grace Chen, Yuan Wen, and Echo Xie. It runs until Feb. 26 and is located about a five-minute drive from Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Richmond campus.

Chen says the gallery’s director was looking for similar patterns through each of the three artists’ works, such as by responding to the art, letting the material go with the flow, and not controlling it too much as an artist.

“That kind of mirrors how I believe we should also engage with the environment. We’re not controlling it, but we’re working with it or existing alongside other beings or other plant life.” Chen says.

When it comes to the exhibit’s name, Chen says “Rhythms of Life” draws upon an “aspect of recognizing that we’re all part of this larger interconnected network.”

“‘Influx’ just shows that there’s so many things that are changing and nothing is ever solidified,” Chen adds.

Chen’s contributions to the exhibit include five works inspired by visits to Botanical Beach on Vancouver Island. They say the beach has a great marine ecosystem and biodiversity, offering different colours, shapes, and forms to showcase in art pieces.

Chen says some of the artworks were inspired by photographs and sketches she made on site, while other works focus on landscapes.

“What I learned from those field trips is how water moved through the rocks and how the plant life organized itself on the shore and in the tide pools,” Chen says.

“[I used] that way of thinking to inform how I applied the paint — very loosely, very gesturally — and also playing with how colour mimics the ripples in the water to create a very contrasting effect.”

Wen’s works in the exhibition include recent mixed-media paintings created with Xuan paper, ink, and lithographic materials. She says her practice focuses on “material relationships.”

“[I have] paintings on big wood panels, [which] used to be natural, recycled material like water, sand, and pigments,” Wen says.

Wen’s works are based on a cultural context, where her heritage informs the process of creating the art through traditional crafts, such as bamboo weaving and paper cutting, among others.

She adds that blending these techniques with some contemporary approaches creates a dialogue between past and present. 

“I’m particularly interested in exploring my identity, place, and the intersection of cultural traditions through my work. Because it is reflected on the topic and the title of the show, I feel this work can give the audience a sense of the transformation,” Wen says.

“My work is more about letting the materials speak to themselves and the work, whereas the artist’s body and the space.”

Xie’s works include portraits and other paintings. She says these works feel like a way of saying goodbye to the traditional headshot portraits she used to make.

“I’m trying to break down the perfect portraits, the realistic art that I used to make. So [these portraits] look different from my other works,” Xie says.

One of the paintings Xie presents in the exhibition is “Flames,” which explores a new theory in her practice that focuses on capturing important memories and moments involving groups of people.

Xie also brings some installations to the exhibit to foster a creative space for healing, she says. She uses vibrant colours in her paintings and allows visitors to touch them, as they have textures that can calm someone down.

Xie adds that her art is also about trying to bring out human inner senses. 

“I try to let the viewers see my inner world and also remind them of their memories, emotions, and the things they never thought about,” Xie says.

For more information about the exhibit, visit www.lipontgallery.ca/artists/in-flux.