The Cosmos of Seeds

Paintings, Sculptures, and a Chapbook “Sculptures Of Arhat” by Ye Qin Zhu

July 8 - July 29, 2017

cosmos-image

My work tells the story of emergence. Pieces begin from less than a thought, arising seemingly from nowhere. How they appear is owed to all that is folding and unfolding, decaying and emerging. Their telling and retelling collapses the “here” and “present” with the groundless and boundless, opening worlds foreign yet familiar, evident yet unlikely. There are traces of natural law, hints of a living universe, and symbols that weave in and out of every piece.

My chapbook “Sculptures Of Arhat” develops this pattern through watercolors, proses, and poems. From the inkling of ideas and emotions, various worlds mature and become interwoven.

– Ye Qin Zhu was born in Taishan, China (1986). He earned his BFA from The Cooper Union For The Advancement Of Science And Art (2010). He was the director of Redwood Arts Studio (2014 – 2016), where he taught drawing and painting to the kids in the community he grew up in, Sunset Park Brooklyn. In 2012 he co-founded Socotra Studio, a collaborative design and build studio. Ye Qin is the program coordinator of Art Palestine International (2008 – 2012 and 2016 – present), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to exhibiting contemporary Palestinian art.

The Cosmos of Seeds, Installation View

<i>Changing Hand</i>, 2017. Materials: driftwood wall-mount shelf made by Piotr Shtyk, LED light, steel, paraffin wax, yerba mate (cup, straw, bag, and spoon set from Paraguay) from Edwin Camacho, Alpaca wool from Mary Walling Blackburn, magnolia seed pod, rubber bands, garlic, grass, sticks, paper fibers, pigment, ball of garbage, glow-in-the-dark-stars, glass jar, rocks, carrot top, starfish, orbies, avocado sapling

Changing Hand, 2017. Materials: driftwood wall-mount shelf made by Piotr Shtyk, LED light, steel, paraffin wax, yerba mate (cup, straw, bag, and spoon set from Paraguay) from Edwin Camacho, Alpaca wool from Mary Walling Blackburn, magnolia seed pod, rubber bands, garlic, grass, sticks, paper fibers, pigment, ball of garbage, glow-in-the-dark-stars, glass jar, rocks, carrot top, starfish, orbies, avocado sapling

Left to Right: <i>Dance of the Goddess Maya</i>, <i>Waiting, Arising</i>, <i>Alchemy of Mood and Matter</i>

Left to Right: Dance of the Goddess Maya, Waiting, Arising, Alchemy of Mood and Matter

Ego Decay 18" x 16.5", 2017. Materials: beeswax, oil paint sticks, copper tape, headphone pieces, nail, model trees, wires, aluminum, arcade token, hot glue, glitter glue, linen, plywood.

<i>A Fountain Let Go</i>, 2017. Materials: Oak, paper fibers, fig leaf, rubber bands, silkscreen ink, spray foam, oil sticks, silver leaf, matte medium, wood glue

A Fountain Let Go, 2017. Materials: Oak, paper fibers, fig leaf, rubber bands, silkscreen ink, spray foam, oil sticks, silver leaf, matte medium, wood glue

<i>Dance of the Goddess Maya</i>, 2017. Mixed media on panel

Dance of the Goddess Maya, 2017. Mixed media on panel

Left: <i>Waiting, Arising</i>, 2017. Materials: paper, cherry flowers, dust bunnies, linen, peppers, pampas grass, spray paint, plywood. Right: <i>Alchemy of Mood and Matter</i>, 2017. Materials: paper, maple seeds, pictures from a math book, air-dry clay sculptures, lambs ear, pine cone wings, hot glue, cat prints, chest nuts, acrylic paint, linen, plywood

Left: Waiting, Arising, 2017. Materials: paper, cherry flowers, dust bunnies, linen, peppers, pampas grass, spray paint, plywood. Right: Alchemy of Mood and Matter, 2017. Materials: paper, maple seeds, pictures from a math book, air-dry clay sculptures, lambs ear, pine cone wings, hot glue, cat prints, chest nuts, acrylic paint, linen, plywood

<i>Arriving At Something Other Than</i>, 2017. Materials: paper, checkbook, conk mushroom, mini cd, adhesive caulk, asphalt, beech dowels, Sky screen mount, ambrosia maple burl, 1/100 scale model people, furniture pad, crayon, screws, coral, pen mount and coil, rubber band bracelet, plywood.

Arriving At Something Other Than, 2017. Materials: paper, checkbook, conk mushroom, mini cd, adhesive caulk, asphalt, beech dowels, Sky screen mount, ambrosia maple burl, 1/100 scale model people, furniture pad, crayon, screws, coral, pen mount and coil, rubber band bracelet, plywood.

The Cosmos of Seeds, Installation View

<i>Nested</i>, 2017. Materials: rock, paraffin wax, bees wax, wiggle board plywood, silver leaf, earplugs, alpaca wool, paper fibers, furniture pads, milkweed seeds, air-dried clay, pigments, acrylic paint, rubber bands, fabric, detritus

Nested, 2017. Materials: rock, paraffin wax, bees wax, wiggle board plywood, silver leaf, earplugs, alpaca wool, paper fibers, furniture pads, milkweed seeds, air-dried clay, pigments, acrylic paint, rubber bands, fabric, detritus

Nested, Detail, 2017.

<i>Flower Cocoon</i>, 2017. Materials: tiger lily, pla filament

Flower Cocoon, 2017. Materials: tiger lily, pla filament

Clockwise from top left: <i>Sower</i>, <i>Reset Button</i>, <i>Comets on Earth</i>, <i>Warp</i>

Clockwise from top left: Sower, Reset Button, Comets on Earth, Warp