The University of British Columbia | Satyagraha: Yang Shu

"The gallery located in Room 112, Koerner Library presents Satyagraha (October 15th – 31st, 2009), the first Vancouver exhibition of Chinese artist Yang Shu. The word Satyagraha is a synthesis of the Sanskrit words Satya (truth) and Agraha (holding firmly to). It is a philosophy and practice of nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. For Gandhi, these two words linked together serve as a synonym for force, a united front representing truth and love. With that said, this exhibition presents Shu’s recent series of painting and paper collage works. These new works exude a forcefully raw and spontaneous visual power. His canvasses are crowded with superimposed scrawling, multiple layers of colour, abstract figures, and Chinese script. His impulsive brushstrokes and broken images walk a line between freedom and restraint. Yang Shu’s new works are explosive and provocative yet offer a subtle simplicity..."

October 15, 2009