Das Werden der Formen
Ink Painting
Songwen Sun-von Berg "The Becoming of Forms"
Ink painting on rice paper is part of the canon of classical Chinese painting. With her move to Germany over 20 years ago, Songwen Sun-von Berg's perspective on this tradition changed. In her latest works, she discovers and showcases the immense potential of dual formlessness. In doing so, she ventures into new territory. At home in two cultures and influenced by Western modernity, she manages to connect different artistic concepts in often surprising ways, creating a multi-layered newness.
If one takes the time to engage with her remarkable ink drawings, one soon discovers how relationships emerge, grow, and fade. “First, one must feel, then love, and then understand.” (Beethoven) – seems to reflect her working method. The brush no longer draws straight lines. The black dots are almost absorbed by the rice paper. The material becomes an essential part of the composition.
With great sensitivity, Songwen Sun-von Berg continually presents new facets of the contradictory engagement with the dualistic unity of human emotions. Strength and weakness, lightness and heaviness, softness and firmness are opposites of feelings and perceptions. Often, the forms are open, without limitation. The ink seems to seize the entire space. In this, Sun-von Berg follows a fundamental concept of Zen.
Time and again, Sun-von Berg explores the diversity of nature. With subtle brush strokes, she brings the mysteries of nature and human relationships into dialogue. The atmospheric quality of her images does not require a specific location. Viewers encounter soul landscapes that evoke emotional imagery within them. The artist reveals more of a becoming than a result. With the processual nature of her representations, she consciously distances herself from the Western "result culture." Although change and development are clearly evident in all her drawings, she manages to convey tension within a restrained harmony. It is not the moment of the depicted state that matters, but the becoming of the opposite. In doing so, she forgoes a central perspective design, following the tradition of Chinese landscape painting. The act of painting and the engagement with the painted become a meditative act.
gallery yumachi presents ink works by Songwen Sun-von Berg from the years 2011 to 2013. In addition to the series "Everything is growing," the latest works from the series "The Becoming of Forms" will be publicly displayed for the first time.
Since 2008, Songwen Sun-von Berg has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Germany. Last summer, she showcased a highly regarded solo exhibition in Shanghai, primarily featuring works that reflect her home in Western culture.
The gallery yumachi, specializing in contemporary art from China, is very pleased to present Songwen Sun-von Berg's latest works.
Dr. Steffen Paul
The exhibition will take place from March 1, 2013, to March 30, 2013, at gallery yumachi, Knaackstraße 80, 10435 Berlin.
Opening: March 1, 2013, 7 PM Closing: March 30, 2013, 4 – 8 PM
gallery yumachi, Knaackstraße 80, 10435 Berlin Opening hours: Wed – Sat 12 – 6 PM, and by appointment.
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 44 030 857, www.gallery-yumachi@yahoo.com