OIL PAINTING
BY SHIH HSIUNG CHOU
TAIWAN 2019
WHAT DOES OIL HAVE TO DO WITH PLASTIC?
Oil Painting never dries, nor does it sit on a canvas. The space within a clear perspex frame contains recycled engine oil – a black, viscous liquid, unique in colour, texture and reflective qualities. This painting explores how the definition of a painting has changed. The vast blackness of the slicked oil acts as a mirror and we are faced with our own reflection in considering the cycle of consuming resources. The plastic industry and the oil industry are intrinsically linked and we cannot examine one without the other. Similarly as we continue to deplete the earth of oil, will this painting become a historical record of a resource that doesn’t exist anymore?
ABOUT
Chou Shih Hsiung earned his Bachelor’s degree in Art from the Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London in 2012 and received an MFA at Yale School of Art in 2014. His body of work ranges from the sculpture work Oil Painting (2011) to large-scale installations such as Endless Corridor (2016). Addressing ideas about identity, family, loneliness, Chinese traditions, paternity, big houses, waiting and eternity, Chou’s works are associated with a wider collective memory. Since 2012, his works have been exhibited at galleries and museums in Europe, the United States and Asia, including the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Taiwan), KaoHsiung Museum of Fine Arts (Taiwan) and the Royal Academy of Arts (London). He lives and works in Taipei.
CONNECT
Website: www.choushihhsiung.com
Instagram: @choushihhsiung