Liang Shuni：Forest Farm
5th Mar - 7th May, 2023
Liang Shuni：Forest Farm
Hunsand Center for Contemporary Art（Shijiazhuang）will soon present artist Liang Shuni's solo exhibition "Forest Farm". Liang Shuni spent some time living around the "Forest Farm" in Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province during her childhood. Her initial memories of her hometown and imagination of the outside world came from this experience, which constitutes the theme of the exhibition and also alludes to many aspects of the works.
"Forest Farm" was the place I visited most frequently in my childhood. In the county town, "Forest Farm" was equivalent to a park at that time. It didn't have basic park facilities, nor was "Forest Farm" an official name. Due to its location in the nearest forested area to the county town, the open space under the trees was suitable for picnics, making it the favorite place for people in the county town to spend their holidays at a time when travel was inconvenient and leisure activities were scarce.
"Forest Farm" was originally a piece of wilderness. In the 1970s, it was included by the forestry department as a tree nursery base. The saplingscultivated would be transplanted to other places. In the early 1980s, "Forest Farm" gradually lost its function as a tree nursery, and the forestry department withdrew from the area. The saplings that had been grown there remained and gradually formed an ecological system. In the early 1990s (which was the time when I grew up), the residents of the county town spontaneously made this area a place for leisure and socializing, which was perhaps its most prosperous period. When I returned to "Forest Farm" in 2019, this place was no longer used by anyone. Due to the lack of human activity for too long, the knee-high dense vegetation had covered everything, reaching an impasse.
"Forest Farm" has always brought me the most familiar and pleasant experiences of my childhood, but now, thinking back on it always brings more complex feelings. Under the influence of time, environment, and human activity, "Forest Farm" ultimately became another piece of wilderness.
——Liang Shuni
This exhibition brings together Liang Shuni's works from 2016 to 2023, including watercolors, acrylics, oil paintings, and installations. The content revolves around "people", "scenes", and "time", providing us with a unique visual experience with bold brushstrokes and free imagination. Although Liang Shuni did not receive strict art training in academics, she has always had a strong intuitive response to fabrics and ready-made items after studying fashion design. This exhibition will also present this series of handmade works, allowing us to see a rich and colorful exhibition that breaks away from mainstream visual culture.
Liang Shuni was born in Guiyang, Guizhou in 1989. She graduated from Wen Hua College of Yunnan Arts University in 2010. She currently lives and works in Guangzhou, Guangdong. Liang Shuni has a sensitive observation of daily life, especially people, and has a diverse perspective. Her expression is triggered by reality, but her wandering thoughts often lead her into a world of truth and falsehood. From subtle depictions to psychological analysis and essential questioning, her paintings or sculpture installations sometimes give viewers a surreal sense of traveling through time and space.
