2019 ”隐 · 现” 杨桦专访 | Interview with Kristin Ng-Yang

1月12日晚，旅居南非近20年之久的中国艺术家杨桦来到开幕现场，与嘉宾们一起分享了她的艺术创作过程及其灵感。现奉上详细专访内容。

Artist Kristin Ng-Yang shared her inspirations with our guests on 12 January night. Please check out her interview.

1. 您的前两次个展都以“飞鸟和鱼”为主题，而这次的个展作品无论在主题，色彩和表现手法上较之以往的系列作品都有较大的转变和突破，能与我们谈谈其中的缘由吗？

杨桦：创作《飞鸟和鱼》系列前，也曾做过一些别的尝试。我一直在寻找新的东西进行创作。 《飞鸟和鱼》系列的结束，只能算是告一段落。我会不停地寻找新的题材和灵感，给大家惊喜。

This new exhibition brings us a brand-new visual imagery series, which is completely different compared to your earlier creation focused on “Flying Fish and Bird”, in terms of the theme, colour, perspectives and material. Why?

Kristin: Before I created “Flying Bird and Fish” series, I have made some other attempts as well. I’ve been always looking for something new to create. For the moment, I have a break on “Flying Bird and Fish” series, I will keep looking for new inspirations to surprise you!

2. 这次个展中绘画作品都以梨为创作主体，并结合了蕾丝材质的运用。您为何会选择蕾丝和梨，这两种看似并无直接关联的元素融合到你的作品中去的？

杨桦：我觉得梨的柔和线条和形态与女性的体态很接近，而蕾丝又显示着女性的精致美丽，优雅与性感。所以就想到把这两者结合在一起。另外，作为女性艺术家，我迷恋和女人有关的蕾丝，刺绣，甚至是缝纫。我也一直在寻求传统绘画所不及的地方，寻找与我的成长和记忆有关的东西。梨和蕾丝的出现，也就不是偶然了。

In this solo exhibition, pear and lace are the main body of your new artworks. Why did you select lace and pear and how these two seemingly unrelated elements, to be merged into your work?

Kristin: I’ve found the soft lines and shapes of pears are very close to female’s curves, while lace presents female’s delicacy, beauty, elegance and refined feminine qualities. So I want to apply them in my artwork. In addition, as a female artist, I am obsessed with lace, and embroidery. I have been always seeking something beyond the reach of painting, looking for things related to my grow-up and memory.

3. 个展中的“妖精系列”在形式感与色彩上令人耳目一新，运用了绘画、拼贴的形式并结合了不同形态的鸟来表达，这些小鸟有特别的含义吗？
杨桦：今年的作品，大多在尝试放弃作品的绘画性。我几乎都用锡管里挤出来的纯色，加金色和纯银色来绘画。我逼迫自己放弃习惯性的色调和笔触。这组“妖精系列”的色调和形状，都比较古怪，加上的鸟的模型和和动物模型，一来是为了平衡画面，二来也是对以前的《飞鸟和鱼》系列的延续。
“I am beautiful!” Series from this exhibition is refreshing in terms of the color and the sense of form. You used collage and birds, do these birds convey any special messages?
Kristin: I have been attempting to abandon the form of painting or drawing in my work. These paintings are made of pure colour from the tube, together with gold and silver colour. I forced myself to give up on the tones and strokes that I am used to. I found the tones and shapes of this series are rather strange. I used models of birds and animals to balance the picture and it’s also a kind of continuation of my previous “Flying Bird and Fish” series.

4. 本次展览中展出了部分“非照-365系列”的摄影作品，您的创作初衷是什么？这个系列创作完成后对您有何影响？

杨桦：创作这组摄影作品的初衷是觉得现代生活离不开手机，每天除了工作和学习用手机外，消遣和娱乐也用手机。因此想每天腾出一点时间做一件事，滴水穿石，可能拍到一定的数量，才能找到自己想要的梦想。另外我也想用摄影这种形式来纪念我的已故摄影家好友秦红燕女士，继续做着她所钟爱的事情。

What’s your initial idea to make these photography Series – “Not only Photos-365”?

Kristin: The initial intention is to squeeze a bit of time of everyday to make a record and summary of year 2018. This series of photography work is also dedicated to my close friend – Hongyan, who is a photographer, I want to continue to do what she loves to do.

5. 拍照的过程其实是进一步观察周围的人和物的过程，在一年的时间内您也记录下了很多珍贵的瞬间，能挑选两张令您印象最为深刻的作品和我们谈谈吗？

杨桦：在这长达一年的时间里，我也曾经想过放弃，比如在特别忙的日子里，无暇顾及的时候，就很难享受拍摄的过程。这时候我就不停地提醒自己，别忘了拍下今天的照片。一年的拍摄过程中，从南非到北京，再到自己的老家，有无数个难忘的瞬间。

比如这张day268，就是带嘟嘟去野生动物园旅行的时候，早晨在酒店里睁眼醒来，睁开眼看到了这件浴袍，光线融合，色调厚重，觉得今天就是它了。

这张day345，是我年底在北京宋庄时拍的。是方力钧的雕塑，也是宋庄有名的地标，我只拍了个顶端，取名叫食物链的顶端，它暗示宋庄的生存环境，这张照片的意义已远远超过图片的本身了。

The process of shooting is the process of observing people and things around you. You have recorded many precious moments in last year. Can you select two photos that impress you the most?

Kristin: On some busy days, I’ve thought about giving up. As when you have little time to shoot, it is hard for me to enjoy the shooting process. I had to keep reminding myself not to forget and give up. During this one year’s shooting, there are countless unforgettable moments across from South Africa to Beijing and then to my hometown – Zibo.

For example, this photo of “day 268” was taken on the day that I took my son to the safari park. When I woke up and opened my eyes in the morning in the hotel, I saw this bathrobe surrounded by soft light, heavy tone…Then, that’s it for today’s shooting!

This photo of “day345” was taken at the end of last year in Songzhuang, Beijing. It’s the top of famous artist Fang Lijun’s sculpture. Now it’s been a well-known landmark of Songzhuang. I named this photo as “the top of the food chain”. It implies the living situation of Songzhuang. The meaning of this photo is far beyond this picture itself.

6. 作为侨居南非20多年的中国艺术家，您觉得在南非的艺术环境与文化给了您哪些启发？对您的创作带来哪些影响？

杨桦：我在南非生活了20年，来到南非才接触到当代艺术。南非曾经是英联邦国家，与欧洲的联系比较密切，虽然它和中国都同样背负着沉重的历史，但当代艺术的教育和发展，很早就已进入南非。与之相比，中国当代艺术的起步则要晚些，直至90年代和2000年后才慢慢渗入。南非的艺术环境非常宽松，能让我进行任何形式的自由创作。

As a Chinese artist living in South Africa over 20 years, what does South Africa bring you or inspire you in terms of artistic atmosphere and their local culture? How does it influence your art creation?

Kristin: I started to know about contemporary art after I arrived in South Africa. South Africa has unique culture and it used to be the colonial country under the British’s reign. It’s a bit similar to China’s past 100 years’ history, this country burdened with a heavy history. However, the education and development of contemporary art had entered South Africa very early, while Chinese contemporary art history hasn’t started and developed until the 1990s. South Africa’s art environment is quite open, enabling me to create as free as I want to.

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