We are very delighted to open our doors in May 2022. The name of our gallery has a number of meanings: W.H.Y. are the initials of my Chinese name, and also spell out the question, “Why?”, alluding to the idea that art can be subjective and sentimental and also can be analyzed with in-depth research. We can ask so many questions while examining, collecting, and analyzing art. I strive to delve deep, and be inquisitive and analytical—searching for the answers to “Why?” will lead our gallery’s approach.
The gallery's debut exhibition, The Surreal and the Real, is a group exhibition featuring six artists' works, including George Condo, Enej Gala, Liu Hong Wei, Zhang Gong, Tagami Masakatsu and Agnese Guido. The six artists have been inspired by surrealistic art, and have expressed it in their art in their own unique ways. Their works are storytellers.
The first time I encountered surrealistic art was during a modern art class at university, where Professor T.J. Clark had talked about Sigmund Freud, subconsciousness and dreams—the very essence of Surrealism. I was curious and fascinated by Surrealism. Surrealism was born from the gloom of the first world war. In the present, where many unpredictable things can happen, and where we have both the physical world and the metaverse, it is also a time where both the surreal and real can co-exist.
W.H.Y. Gallery will have a primary focus on contemporary art. I wanted to start here, with a show about surrealistic art represented by six artists' works, to sail into the contemporary art world. I look forward to sharing more with you here. Please stay tuned.
Vanessa
W.H.Y. Gallery