Louise Nevelson & Yin Xiuzhen

This analogy of ‘books translated into another language’ can also be found in Yin Xiuzhen’s Bookshelf series (2009–13). ‘The Chinese scholar Su Shi used to say that even Confucius started learning by reading books,’ Yin has said regarding this work. ‘Everyone’s personal experience is like a thick set of volumes. Continuing my interest in clothes as a “second skin”, I’ve collected bookshelves from different places and have made new “clothes” for the books to keep them warm. These are made from old clothes, which are actually miniature versions of people’s experiences, retaining the temperature and spirit of the bodies they used to cover.’ By transforming the legacy and triviality of daily life, Yin’s works reflect sociopolitical, economical, and historical changes through the lens of the subtle and real circumstances of individuals. This deep concern for life itself is naturally and intuitively conveyed to audiences with the aid of the artist’s skill for manipulating everyday materials, such as worn clothes.

The exhibition will also feature Yin’s Wall Instrument series (2016–present). In addition to the characteristic materials commonly seen in her works—particularly the old clothing thought of as humanity’s ‘second skin’—these works extend her creative process to the use of ceramics. While ceramics are also quite commonplace, their exquisite nature gives form to a subtle sense of distance. Old clothing, soft and warm, is inextricably tied to memory and the experiences of human senses and, through Yin’s process, are embedded into the porcelain works, solidifying and preserving them in time. Ceramics themselves are transformed from common earth into exquisite forms once fired in a kiln; this transformation doubtlessly carries with it even greater symbolic significance. As a process, and the changes it signifies, the porcelain works indicate that the artist’s ‘bodily’ understanding of creative materials is probing a spiritual world focused on form. Thus, the ceramics that appear in the form of ‘instruments’ in this work may be viewed as ‘spiritual instruments,’ which are vessels that carry complex and vivid lives, guiding viewers to a higher plane of understanding.