Luster of a Dream Unearthed

Luster of a Dream Unearthed presents a series of mixed-media drawings reimagining Chinese aesthetic traditions through the lens of queer diaspora. These pieces depict figures composed alongside artifacts of Chinese culture, such as folding screens, jade pendants, scholar's stone, and landscape paintings. In this illusory world, the forms of the figure and the artifacts respond surreally to one another- merging in dreamlike ways. The figure’s concealed emotions are projected onto the space around them, which both consumes and embraces the figure. These vivid yet restless scenes reveal a complex tension with their inherited history. All these pieces began with drawings and silhouette cutouts that Ni continuously rearranged to experiment with composition. By exploring the visual relationships among these forms, Ni seeks to uncover subconscious symbolisms between the figure and artifacts. The show will contemplate the hidden queer stories lost in our conception of history and compel viewers to reflect on our connections to culture and tradition.

Artist Bio

Joseph Ni (b. 2000) is a Chinese American artist born and based in New York, working in mixed-media drawing and printmaking. Their practice reimagines Chinese aesthetic traditions through a queer diasporic lens. Ni received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2023 and is currently pursuing an MFA at Hunter College. Their work has been exhibited at various galleries and institutions, including the New Bedford Art Museum (MA), Decatur Library (GA), Art Center of Corpus Christi (TX), Artlink Contemporary Art Gallery (IN), LIC Art Space, and Field Projects Gallery (NY).

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