Brave Concerto
2023.10.21-11.30
curator: Michaela Senna
artist: Sophie-Yin Bretz, Teo-Yuan Chang, Hahan (Uji Handoko Eko Saputero), Ray Julian, Tiffany Lafitte, Rafael Michael
Address: Tang Contemporary Art Center Bangkok Space

Tang Contemporary Art Center is honored to announce that it willThe Asian artist group exhibition "Concerto of Brave Leap" will be launched at Bangkok Space on October 21, 2023. The exhibition is curated by Michela Sena and presents artists from Sophie-Yen Bretez, Chang Teng Yuan, Hahan (Uji Handoko Eco· Six artists including Uji Handoko Eko Saputro, known as Hahan, Rai Julian, Tiffany Lafuente and Rafael Megall work.

In Ray Julian's work, inspiring stories resonate harmoniously with poetic and profound imagery. Zhang Tengyuan uses canvas as a carrier to convey ideas, integrates Eastern and Western cultures, and reconstructs and regenerates new visual images in a fictional way.

Tiffany Lafitte not only criticizes globalization, but also digs deeper to reveal how works depicting individuals can trigger collective voyeurism. Hahan (Uji Handoko Eko Saputro) releases his vitality and laughs and ridicules without restraint in the upside-down world.

The exhibited works cross national borders and connect people from all walks of life, which is a vivid testimony to the universality of art. The work transcends the boundaries of time and space, vividly presenting the rich connotations of Asian culture like an exquisite mosaic with colorful and beautiful harmonies. If you experience this exhibition immersively, you will find that it is not only a living spring of inspiration, but also a reminder that if the power of creation is in harmony with cultural consensus, the power of art can connect everyone.

About the artist

Rafael Megall

Raphael Michael was born on January 2, 1983 in Yerevan, Armenia. He started painting at the age of 9. From 1998 to 2004, he studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia. In 2008, he joined the Artists Association of the Republic of Armenia. Since 2010, he has lived and worked in Armenia and the United States. In 2012, he won the Gold Medal from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia for his outstanding work performance and artistic achievements; in 2013, the President of Armenia awarded him the title of Honorary Artist of the Republic of Armenia; in the same year, he won the Lorenzo I. Magnifico Prize for Painting; in 2014, he was awarded the Arshile Gorky Medal of Honor of the Republic of Armenia.

His recent solo exhibitions include: "Stories of Idols and Worship" (European Art Exhibition, InParadiso Gallery, Venice, Italy, 2022), "Riddle Room" (Moscow, Russia, 2021), "My Blooming" at the 57th Venice Biennale "Black Panther in the Garden" (Pavilion of the Republic of Armenia, Venice, Italy, 2017), "Panther in my Blooming Garden" (National Gallery of Art, Yerevan, Armenia, 2017), "Humanity" (Arco Gallery, Italy Turin, 2015) etc.

CHANG Tengyuan

Zhang Tengyuan was born in Kaohsiung. He graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Changhua Normal University in 2006 and the Institute of Plastic Arts of Tainan University of the Arts in 2011. He currently lives in Taipei and engages in artistic creation.

Since 2012, Zhang Tengyuan has been creating doomsday legendary works around the concept of doomsday archeology, using painting, animation, spatial installations, multimedia and other means to convey the concept through fictional methods. Zhang Tengyuan's works fuse Eastern and Western painting elements, transform them into symbols and reconstruct them, creating a new visual image that integrates East and West. His works have been exhibited in solo or group exhibitions in London, Cologne, New York, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul and Taipei. He founded Compound Eye Art Studio, which not only actively engages in cross-field collaboration but also provides assistance and technical support to other artists' creations. He believes that working with others helps create an interactive synergy in the artistic process.

His recent solo exhibitions include "EARTH Beta", Chiayi City Art Museum, Chiayi, 2023), "Multiplication" (Nomart Gallery, Osaka, 2022), "Parrotman in Busan" (Woo Gallery x Zhuopu Art Center, Busan, 2022) , "Parrotman in Madrid" (Art Madrid/Yiri Art, Madrid, 2022), "Solitaire" (Xinyuan Art, Taipei, 2021), etc.

Hahan (Uji Handoko Eko Saputero)
Uji Handoko Eko Saputro aka Hahan

Hahan was born in Indonesia in 1983 and currently works and lives in Yogyakarta. The endless dispute between "high-end art" and "low-end art" blurs the boundaries between realism and decoration, and also puts a stylized mark on his artistic creation. His work demonstrates the points of contact between urbanization and rurality, between localization and globalization, acknowledging the relationship between the structures and mechanisms of the commercial art world while simultaneously criticizing them. In fact, themes of rejection and success appear throughout Hahan's diverse body of work, including paintings, sculptures, illustrations, and prints. These works provide insight into the inner world of a post-boom Southeast Asian artist as he grappled with the complexities and challenges of an expanding global art world.

He is one of the founders of Ace House Collective, a collective of young artists in Yogyakarta that works with numerous communities and networks to provide an artistic and cultural laboratory for young artists. Founded in 2011, the community organizes forums and exchange activities in a self-funded manner, and is committed to creating a platform integrating production, dialogue and cooperation to support the continuous development of avant-garde art practices.

In recent years, he has focused on actively interacting with visitors and linking them to global art developments and social developments. Hahan carries out artistic exploration around the above concepts and shows a strong interest in fields such as value, time and speculation. He uses exquisite skills to create an artistic atmosphere full of symbolism but without losing irony and humor. He not only depicts the bright spots of the avant-garde art market, but also maps its production/consumption relationship, and also teases the seductive spirit of artistic exploration.

He has participated in many joint exhibitions in Indonesia and abroad, such as "Contemporary World: Indonesia" at the National Gallery of Australia in 2019, the first "National Gallery of Victoria Triennial" in Melbourne in 2017, and the 7th National Gallery of Victoria in 2012. "Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art" in Lisbon. His art works are in the collections of major Australian art museums, such as the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin.

Sophie-Yen Bretez

Sophie-Yin Breitez was born in Vietnam in 1994. She is a self-taught artist who currently lives and works in Paris. She moved to France from Vietnam when she was 4 years old. Her diverse artistic practice reflects her profound cultural heritage. In 2018, Bretz received a master's degree from the Nou Business School in Rouen, France. Since then, he has been active in the literary and artistic creation industry in Paris and has held many management positions. In 2021, she decided to follow her passion for art and start creating full-time. =

Sophie-Yin Bretz's artistic practice is rooted in self-awareness. She carefully experiences her own experiences and transforms them into a mysterious visual language. Her unfettered creative process has also become her source of inspiration. She strives to initiate a boundless dialogue between herself, her paintings, and her audience, exploring themes such as the human condition and emotional complexity. At the same time, she continues to explore issues of identity and its complexities as a French-adopted Asian woman.

Dreamlike, surreal images are Bretz's signature style. Her work explores issues of trauma, resilience, identity, intimacy, sexuality and autonomy. She hopes to faithfully reflect the human condition in the recovery period (from the epidemic) and focus on exploring diverse creative techniques. Bretz is passionate about challenging the traditional male gaze, using reverse voyeurism to challenge society's relationship with female nudity. In her paintings, strong and determined women look directly at the audience, creating a sense of distance invisibly and proving that they are not objects to be manipulated by the audience, but masters in control of their own bodies.

Her recent solo exhibitions include "Powerful, despite it all" (JD Malat Gallery, London, 2023), and her work has been exhibited in Dubai, Los Angeles, Bangkok and other places.

Rai Julian

Rui Julian was born in Bandung in 1994 and works and lives in Canggu, Indonesia. He briefly studied communication in college and served as a drummer in an underground band. During the epidemic, he picked up a paintbrush for the first time and poured his heart and soul into his paintings. Drawing inspiration from artists across genres, he is known for his inspiring narratives and profound visual poetry.

Immersed in and deeply influenced by a multicultural atmosphere, his friends have multicultural backgrounds and often tell unique stories. In his artistic creation, Rui not only shares his own experiences, but also tells the stories of others around him, so each work is unique and reflects the culture of the community. Rui's artistic creations are uplifting narratives and profound visual poems that often recreate the joys of everyday life. His solo exhibitions include "Right Hand Left" (Hatch Art Project, Singapore, 2023), "Sosok" (Bada Bink Gallery, Singapore, 2022), etc.

Tiffany Lafuente

Filipino contemporary artist Tiffany Lafitte received a bachelor's degree in painting from the University of the Philippines Diliman, graduating magna cum laude. She has a particular preference for realistic and traditional subjects, and has become famous for her imaginative and provocative depictions. In her five-year art career, Lafitte has held more than ten solo exhibitions such as "Interior Motivation" (2020), establishing her position that cannot be ignored in the art world. Lafitte's paintings use humor as a narrative device to reveal people's hypocrisy, malice and vulnerability.

About the curator

Michela Sena is a curator and art critic based in Rome and Bangkok. Her research interests involve contemporary cutting-edge experimental art in a global context and dialogue between artists from different regions. He served as the exhibition director of Primo Marella Exhibition in Beijing and Tang Contemporary Art Center in Bangkok. In recent years, she has curated a large number of exhibitions, provided effective references for art research, and focused on the exploration and research of contemporary art in China and Southeast Asia.

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