SinArts Gallery presents the second solo exhibition of Shen Wei at the gallery in Den Haag. Inspired by the view of Hofvijver pond from the gallery, we have selected works connected to water and nature from Shen’s series I Miss You Already.
The self-portrait series I Miss You Already spans a decade of work (2009-2019) exploring the tension between freedom and boundaries. Shen Wei often immerses himself in water and plant life. These are realms separate from every day, and Shen explores the intimacy of these spaces while also experiencing their borders. In works such as ‘Earthly’ and ‘Fountain,’ the viewer finds portraits of Shen immersing himself in the water, between two worlds. In ‘Bridge’ and ‘Villefranche,’ tiny figure against the vastness of the sea and lake reminds us of the fragility of the self. In ‘Pome’ and ‘Cicadas,’ the viewer longs to comprehend the thoughts of the figure lying in the grass, wondering whether the artist is at rest or poised for action. And in ‘Toes’ and ‘T-shirt,’ the artist’s curiosity takes quotidian things and evokes their magical or sacred properties. These works all capture a moment of palpable tension between being and action.
Shen Wei (b.1977) Born and raised in Shanghai, Shen Wei is based in New York City. He is known for his intimate portraits of himself and others and his poetic landscapes and still-life photography. His work has been exhibited internationally, with venues including the Museum of the City of New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Morgan Library & Museum, the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, China, the Hasselblad Foundation in Göteborg, Sweden, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, CNN, Aperture, ARTnews, Paris Review, Financial Times, Le Figaro, and American Photo.
Shen Wei’s work is included in the permanent collection of numerous museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Getty Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Library of Congress, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Morgan Library & Museum, the CAFA Art Museum, and the Ringling Museum of Art. Shen Wei is a recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Arts Residency, the Asian Cultural Council Arts & Religion Fellowship, the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Arts Grant. He holds an MFA in photography, video, and related media from the School of Visual Arts, New York, and a BFA in photography from Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Shen Wei : I Miss You Already
7-29 May 2022
SinArts Gallery
Korte Vijverberg 2
2513AB, Den Haag , The Netherlands
www.sinartsgallery.com
