From Two Arises Three: The Collaborative Works of Arnold Chang and Michael Cherney

The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will present From Two Arises Three: The Collaborative Works of Arnold Chang and Michael Cherney from March 2 to May 6, 2018, an exhibition highlighting the extraordinary collaboration of artists Arnold Chang and Michael Cherney. The unbroken Chinese ink painting tradition has developed continuously over the course of more than a millennium, and this evolution continues into the present day, as evidenced by the current popularity of contemporary ink. While Chinese contemporary art has gained prominence over the past decades, there has been a clear dichotomy between purely contemporary works and those with a stronger connection to tradition. This division now appears to be fading as traditional aesthetics merges with newer forms of media.

Since 2009, Chang and Cherney have experimented with merging traditional ink with photography in a manner that remains true to the essence of traditional Chinese landscapes, while simultaneously bringing both media into the 21st century. At the edges where two worlds meet, where film grain and ink dots come together, the artists are able to look beyond specific cultures, definitions, borders and geographies.

The full range of traditional formats is represented in the exhibition—hanging scrolls, handscrolls, albums, individual prints and fans—while the collaborative pieces display a highly contemporary feel. By also presenting several individual works from each artist, a clearer understanding is gained of the journey that each artist has taken to their collaborative works.