“We swim on the oceans of the world.
Half of the day is submerged in the water, and
The night half floats on the surface.”
Cai Tianxin, a Huangyan writer of Taizhou origin, once wrote his whimsical thoughts in words in his poetry.
Some comment: from light to dark, from elation to agony. Despite the serenity on the surface, there are dark currents underneath, with tiresome dreams coming in, and the simple and plain appearance actually has another deep meaning.
Coincidentally, at Duoyun books Huangyan store, we are about to see images similar to this kind of imagery in the paintings of artist LEGO LIANG’s solo exhibition, and it’s a magical and uncanny thing that there are some subtle similarities between the two different types of creations.
In 2022, LEGO used his own cartoon image of ‘GWONG TAU ZAI’ to design an incredibly soft plush doll named ‘Give me a hug’, which later kept appearing in the canvases he painted, sometimes resting in the ruins of a wall corner, and sometimes lying quietly on the seashore, which is a different kind of fun.
One of the paintings, entitled Deeper than the Sea, has unintentionally touched the emotions of many people. The bald doll located at the junction of the blue sea surface and the black seabed has firmly captured people’s attention and attracted them to stop in front of the painting.
Why did GWONG TAU ZAI fall into the sea? What fate will he face next? We don’t know, and even the author himself may not be sure what this painting from his own dream is pointing to. Looking at Baldy in the painting, people sometimes worry, sometimes speculate, and give different answers.
In LEGO’s opinion, there is no right or wrong answer, because art is always guided by the viewer’s heart, just like when he painted this painting, he was just recording the moment when he was awakened by his dream.
In August 2023, the cuddle doll was enlarged several times and placed in front of the window of Duoyun Theatre Store, like a giant baby begging for a cuddle and pampering passers-by. The theme of the exhibition is composed of the extremely self-congratulatory “HE HE HE HE” and the desperate desire for embracing the world, “Give me a hug”, and along the thread of cuddling, a series of paintings and artworks by Leung He is combed through. Along the thread of hugging, a series of paintings and artworks by LEGO are sorted out, pain is dissolved, and a gentle warmth comes.
As the three-month-long exhibition period passed, many people came back and forth here to find a moment of inner peace, some passed by by chance and were pleasantly surprised, and some still couldn’t get enough.
So, on this winter day, riding on this cloud in Shanghai, GWONG TAU ZAI floated to Huangyan, Taizhou, to embrace this city and hope that the people living here can “give me a hug”.
Located on the banks of Huangyan’s mother river, the Yongning River, the Duo Yun Academy looks like a slowly floating white cloud from afar. The shape of the cloud outlines layers of doorways in the building, and the white courtyard and flowing landscape respond to the softness and calmness of the city.
In such a subtle bookstore, a seemingly straightforward and bold “Hugs for Hugs” exhibition was held, which is worth playing with.
Life and art seem to be in perpetual contradiction, yet they have reached unity, just as we long for hugs but are too shy to express them in action, yet we can reveal part of our heart through art, and life is probably more fascinating because of it.