GUANGZHOU MOODRN CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR 2023
As an art institution dedicated to bringing in artists from diverse backgrounds around the world, this year's fair will showcase the outstanding works of artists Cheese Arnon, Jaes Lee, Lu Gao, Placid, Rori Hee, Ryo Hsu, Turn, and Woori Bai at the IM Gallery booth, located in Gallery Unit G07, for all art enthusiasts.
Cheese Arnon
Cheese Arnon (1986, Thailand) lives and works in Thailand.
He started learning traditional art through self-study, attempting various techniques that many famous artists before him had showcased. Through diverse forms of learning and training, his final works emerged in various artistic styles with the “fox” as the main character. Overall, his creations exude a sense of power, often portraying the image of the fox with a metallic texture that contrasts with its surroundings, giving the images a strong sculptural quality. These whimsical and mischievous images appear as if embarking on an adventure during a journey, with each picture resembling a specific plot in a story, igniting the viewer’ s imagination and curiosity. Cheese Arnon’ s solo exhibitions includes ‘Reflection’ , Think Space, USA (2023); ‘Reminder’ , All About Arts Gallery, Singapore (2023). He has participated in group exhibitions including ‘LAX/AMS’ , Think Space, USA (2023); ‘Wanted’ , Ones Gallery, USA (2023); and ‘Collectible Fest 2023’ , Galleria Benetti, Thailand (2023).
CHEESE ARNON
WEIRD DREAM, 2023
acrylic on canvas
80 x 60 cm
CY WANG
THE MOON REPRESENTS MY HEART, 2023
acrylic on canvas
120 x 90 cm
CY Wang
CY Wang was born in Taiwan in1981 and now base in Hong Kong. From photography to installations and painting, each field displays his captivating imagination and unique aesthetic perspective. As a representative of the “comic” generation, his extensive works reflect the intersection of popular culture, historical culture, and art culture. He uncovers the relationships between the new generation, the internet, electronic games, social media, exploring the cultural and social perspectives of the younger generation.
Wang first came to light through Takashi Murakami GEISAI Taiwan in 2009, in which he was recognized with the Seiichi Kamei Personal Award, and then was awarded with golden price in subsequent GEISAI Taiwan 2010. His works have been invited for exhibitions in significant museums in Russia, Taiwan, and other places. He held both solo and group exhibitions in various countries and regions including the United States, the United Kingdoms, Japan, Australia, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore.
His art creation is influenced by childhood cartoons, electronic games, TV shows, etc. The inspiration stems from his life, imagination, and important matters to him. In recent years, his impressive painting skills stand out in combining different characters. His series “Rainbow” was born out of the birth of his daughter during the pandemic, creating new characters and narratives. The series brings a strong visual impact, vividly representing bright energy, invoking childhood memories and contemporary life.
Faozee
Faozee (B.1998) lives and works in Thailand. He perceives art as a language to communicates the artist’ s thoughts and emotions. Influenced by Japanese anime characters and films, Faozee describes his works as “changing with age and maturity.” Currently, his art falls under the realm of surrealism. Through his works, the artist primarily tells his views and insights on social issues, using various elements to symbolize or metaphorically represent human behaviors.Faozee has participated in group exhibitions including 'In My Bubble', A:Gallery, Shenzhen, China (2023); 'Encounter', Mozuku Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan (2023); 'Meet Me At the Horizon', 333 Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand (2022); 'Co-Art Space', Union Mall, Bangkok, Thailand (2022); 'Antidose', Art4c, Bangkok, Thailand (2020).
FAOZEE
BEDROOM, 2023
oil on canvas
70 x 80 cm
Jase Lee
Jaes Lee (b.1997) is working and living in Seoul, South Korea. His childhood was immersed in a plethora of animated works, much like many artists of the post-90s generation. His artistic inspiration draws heavily from this influence.Focusing on the emotional interactions between individuals in real life, Jaes Lee creates his distinctive artworks characterized by a flat illustration style and warm, saturated colors. His chosen subjects often revolve around the themes of ambiguity and young love, evoking a sweet and subtle atmosphere that resonates visually with those who grew up after the 90s, exuding a compelling narrative and emotional impact. "Love and life" are key topics explored in his works, each painting conveying a spectrum of emotions and memories, akin to capturing precious moments frozen in a dreamlike state. With his adept mastery of form and color, Jaes Lee's artworks possess a mature sense of control, showcasing his ability to blend elements of shape and color seamlessly.Jaes Lee’ s solo exhibition includes ‘Blue Valentine’ , Tsutaya Books, Shanghai, China (2023); ‘Inspiration Frame’ , Gallery Nowhy, Seoul, South Korea (2022); ‘Love Moment’ , Tya Gallery, Seoul, South Korea (2022). Jaes Lee has participated in group exhibitions include ‘Spectrum 1.0’ , Gallery Nowhy, Seoul, South Korea (2023); Shanghai Art 021, We Space Gallery, China (2022); Art Taipei, Soka Art, Taiwan, China (2022); Alibaba U Design Week, Soka Art, Hangzhou, China (2022); ‘My Love, My Universe’ , Klamp Gallery, Seoul, South Korea (2022); Seoul Illustration Fair Vol.12, COEX, Seoul, South Korea (2021); Seoul Illustration Fair Vol.11, COEX, Seoul, South Korea (2021); Seoul Illustration Fair Vol.08, COEX, Seoul, South Korea (2019).
JAES LEE
PAT, 2023
acylic on canvas
60.6 x 72.7 cm
Lu Gao
Lu Gao was born in Beijing, China, and moved to Australia in 2002. She graduated from UNSW School of Art and Design in Australia and currently works in Sydney. Lu Gao’ s artistic journey began with a childhood immersed in the study of painting, oil painting and traditional Chinese painting, which honed her exceptional skills in form and composition. Her works primarily revolve around the genre of children’ s portraiture, where viewers can intimately experience the innocence and goodwill emanating from the subjects. Lu Gao’ s artworks exude a gentle and pure color palatte, imbued with nuanced expressions that convey the emotional depth of the portraits, while maintaining a sense of underlying significance. Her distinctive personal style, recognized and appreciated by the younger generation, combines subtle and elegant colors with immediate emotional impact. Lu Gao’ s group exhibitions include nextlab, Shanghai (2023); August Group Exhibition, Ginza Collector’ s Club, Ginza Tsutaya, Tokyo (2023); ‘Bluebluebluem’ , IM Gallery, Guangzhou (2023); ‘Face ID’ , JPS Gallery, Hong Kong (2023); October Group Exhibition, Ginza Collector’ s Club, Ginza Tsutaya, Tokyo (2022); June Group Exhibition, Ginza Collector’ s Club, Ginza Tsutaya, Tokyo (2022).
LU GAO
SHE SAID, 2023
oil on linen
30 x 30 cm
Marius Seidlitz
Marius Seidlitz was born in Germany in 1985 and currently works in Kempten, Germany. He explores the complexities of self-identity in his artwork, questioningMarius Seidlitz explores the complexities of self-identity in his artwork, questioning notions of beauty and perfection. His artistic process encompasses diverse techniques, ranging from engraving mastery to free creative use of spray technology and paint. Seidlitz's expressive images feature deliberately imperfect bodies of women, portraying colorful curves and multi-layered nudity that embody the contradictions between attraction and repulsion. These dynamic and multidimensional compositions are characterized by entangled bodies, hinted limbs, and lips merging with vibrant surfaces and dynamic lines. Through the use of acrylic and spray paints, Seidlitz examines the self and its presentation, celebrating the versatility of imperfection. His art embraces the beauty of vulnerability, showcasing the simultaneous coexistence of different proportions and human needs. By stripping the bodies naked, Seidlitz unveils the soul, capturing the complex and ever-evolving nature of human beings.Seidlitz has held exhibitions in various countries and regions including Italy, France, Germany, the United States, South Korea, China, Japan, etc. His recent solo exhibitions include ‘Beyond the Mirror’ , Akunst Gallery, Seoul (2023); ‘It’ s Too Late For Postcards’ , Foundazione Michetti, Francavira (2021); ‘Sugar, We Are Going Down!’ , Heart House, Munich (2020);
MARIUS SEIDLITZ
CHIN UP AND SMILE, 2023
oil on linen
130 x 100 cm
Nina Park
Nina Park (B.1990) is a popular contemporary illustrator from South Korea, graduated from Kingston University in the UK with a degree in illustration. Her works are featured by their unique urban street style. Park primarily depicts daily life of her own in her scenes. Enjoying moments of cuddling her cat, sipping coffee, reading books, and taking walks on nearby streets to experience the changing seasons, her free-spirited and relaxed lifestyle is translated onto the canvas as delicate and heartwarming daily scenes.
Nina Park’ s works aim to view the world from a female perspective and become a “mirror to the soul” for young girls, conveying the message that “every young person going through confusion is not alone.” For Nina Park, free drawing generates a sense of contentment as if “the body hasn’ t moved, yet the mind has traveled far,” allowing her to cherish everything she loves without being bothered by external criticism.
NINA PARK
VIOLET BATHTIME, 2023
acrylic on canvas
90.9 x 72.7 cm
PLACID
A CONFUSED MAN, 2023
soft pastel on wooden board
68 x 98 cm
Placid
Placid is an artist duo composed of sculptor Chen Lok Yan and painter Louise Chow. Chen and Chow were born in 1989 in Hong Kong, and received their Masters of Architecture (MArch) from the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Their sculpture and paintings resonate with each other, jointly exploring the complexity of individual identity.
Individuals possess characters that define their unique identities. These elements - attitude, style, thoughts and memories, are expressed as dents of imperfection on the initial surfaces of the sculptures. They are then filled and polished until they become smooth and imperceptible by touch. In conventional processes of model making, these polished prototypes shall receive the final coating, to meet the universal expectations in real life. Placid's sculptures are like frozen prototypes that preserve the characters of these placid beings as bespoke textures, capturing the moment before they receive the final coating that conceals the truth and imperfections inside. They are intentionally grey, the default color of digital modeling, and the most appropriate color to receive light and shadow. The most neutral and peaceful color, buries the deepest fluctuations.
Placid’ s paintings depict the same subjects as the sculptures, imagining their heads as empty interiors that become scenes of introspection. Looking out from the inside of the heads of the placid beings, one sees different scenery as from the outside. Shifts in viewpoint accentuate changes in perception and trigger emotions, serving as the inspirations of the paintings, and providing glimpses into the unique characters hidden under their gentle faces. The organic enclosures become the exhaustive realm for each painting, distorted as they stretch across the entire length of the picture frame. Vibrant and
sometimes fluorescent colors inject life into the shades of grey throughout our paintings. The juxtapositions of fluidity and stillness, saturation and paleness, instill a suppressed atmosphere and give their paintings a calming presence.
In the year or 2023, Placid has held their first solo exhibition “the Witnesses” at Gallery Jo Yana in Marseille, France. They have also participated in group exhibitions and art fairs include “Nyctophilia”, Gallery Nowhy, Seoul, South Korea (2023); Art Amoy International Art Fair, Gallery Nowhy, Xiamen, China (2023); “Blue Blue Bl(ue)m”, IM Gallery, Guangzhou, China (2023); Moordn Art Fair, Guangzhou, China(2023); Beijing Art Fair, Beijing, China(2024); Ningbo Art Fair, Ningbo, China（2024）.
Ryo Hsu
Ryo Hsu, born in Taiwan, China, now lives and works in Shanghai. He explores the realms of extreme sports and contemporary pop culture, delving into the vibrant interplay between community vitality and individual connections. His unique creative language emerges through previously unseen group portraits and emotionally charged scenes used as storytelling devices. Beyond painting, he consistently documents the streets through extensive photography, capturing diverse pedestrians, urban architecture, and signage with both film and mobile cameras. His love for pop culture and sports shines through in his artwork, featuring skateboarding, cycling, baseball, cars, vinyl records, and even a simple cup of instant noodles.
"One day, while watching skaters effortlessly perform an array of tricks in videos, I suddenly grasped the zen essence of this sport, an inspiration that eluded me in rock music. The skateboard community culture has prompted me to reevaluate relationships between individuals. In an era marked by prolonged physical distance and excessive reliance on online communication, I believe there is an urgent need to focus on the companions and community in our immediate surroundings."
RYO HSU
TONY HAWK, 2023
acrylic on canvas
150 x 150 cm
Rori Hee
Rori Hee was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1979 and studied Visual Art and Design at Jangan University from 1998 to 2001. After graduating from school, she worked as a cartoon designer and planner for Cyworld, the largest com- munity website in Korea. During this period, she
accumulated a lot of artistic practice experience, which laid the foundation for her later individual artistic creation. After working at a big company for nearly 10 years, she got tired of the meaningless repeating 9-to-5 work, and yearned to live in countryside and pursue higher attainments in art. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. Since then, she’ s been fighting against the disease for six years .During this period, she never gave up her pursuit of art. Finally, in 2021, she was cured of cancer and officially resumed her artistic career.
Rori Hee identifies herself with the image of a young girl in her artwork. Through her continuous exploration of art, she expresses her own sense of existence. The vibrant colors and playful imagination in her artwork reflect her longing for a brilliant life. To add a personal touch to her
paintings, she utilizes techniques such as gestural creation, color layering, and fluorescent blending. She particularly favors highly saturated fluorescent colors to enhance the visual impact of her works, which complements the pureness conveyed by the girls in her compositions.
RORI HEE
NO ACCESS, 2023
mixed media on canvas
93 x 78 cm
Turn
Turn (Terdtanwa Kanama) was born in 1994 in Thailand. He graduated from Silpakorn University with a Bachelor’ s degree of Fine Arts in Painting, Sculpture, and Graphic Arts. Inspired by street culture and his favorite music, summer is the artist’ s favorite season and it signifies the lush foliage and colorful butterflies congregating in vibrant scenes. Turn’ s creation of “Bonsy” was influenced by bonsai trees. “Bonsy” becomes a recurring character in his works—an inquisitive friend who carries genuine dreams and ambitions, journeying alongside boys and girls.
Turn aims to capture the essence of an inner child in every person. He has been teaching art and painting murals in foster homes, impoverished schools, temples, and prisons through the Giggle Art Studio. Every boy and girl in his works wears a traditional golden headdress, a unique expression found throughout their cultural heritage in traditional murals. In addition to using spray cans and graffiti pens, the artist manually adds gold leaf embellishments to all his artworks, a material also used in traditional temple murals in Thailand. By depicting the joyful summer journeys of different boys and girls, Turn conveys hope and positive messages, projecting an attitude of staying true to oneself regardless of status and position.
Turn has also participated in group exhibitions including “Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022“, IconSiam, Bangkok, Thailand (2022); “Hotel Art Fair 2022“, the Standard Bangkok, Thailand (2022); “Group Exhibition One Offs NFT Art Fair“, Taiwan (2022); “Art Shenzhen 2022“, Shanghai, China (2022); “Mango Art Fair“, Bangkok, Thailand (2021); “Rue“, Joyman Gallery,
Bangkok,Thailand (2021); “Neo Thaiism“, Joyman Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand (2020); “Bangkok Celebration Exhibition“, Kalwit Studio&Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand (2020); “Breaking Boundaries“, W Hotel Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand (2019); “Larnkoon Art Exhibition“, Art Gallery Barn Chao
Phraya, Bangkok, Thailand (2019).
TURN
CHILL AND CHILL WITH BONSY, 2023
acrylic on canvas
90 x 70 cm
WOORI BAI
Woori Bai (B. 1990, South Korea) is a young artist from South Korea. She graduated from the school of Fine Arts at Silla University in 2012 and presently works and resides in Changwon, South Korea. Woori Bai's works primarily focus on portraying the secluded daily life of a black cat and a forest girl. With a deft touch, she incorporates natural elements including forests, mountains, the moon, plants, and water columns to weave an imaginary realm, steeped in the spirituality of natural landscapes, imbuing her works with an ancient and tranquil mystique. The sun and moon take turns illuminating the earth, where all forms of life coexist in harmonious unity. Through subdued hues and a gentle narrative, the artist conveys her innermost, secluded musings. Within the forest lie myriad divergent paths, yet they all converge toward a common destination. While journeying along the path to unraveling existence's meaning, the artist has crafted a multitude of distinct scenes. The one certainty lies in her yearning to discard the clamorous world forged by modern civilization, endeavoring to rediscover the authentic beauty inherent in human nature.
WOORI BAI
FULL MOON, 2023
oil on canvas
45.5 x 53 cm
