PAULINE SHAW, ICHI TASHIRO

In current discussions surrounding contemporary painting and sculpture, the concept of “bricolage” has resurfaced. Originating from anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss’s 1962 publication “The Savage Mind,” it encapsulates the mythological thinking in non-Western cultures that repurposes remnants of labor for repair. This alternative knowledge system regarding materials, labor, and memory is at the heart of the resurgence of weaving and fiber art. Like painting, it revolves around imagery; akin to sculpture, it pertains to material and touch, yet has long been marginalized in fine art until its recent reevaluation within the context of new materialism.

As the Western art market embraces textile art, Asian abstract art reveals a distinctly different philosophical trajectory. Since the 1960s, Asian artists have championed a direct experience of “things” through the body and senses, rooted in Eastern philosophy, resisting the reduction of art to mere language and concepts. From Mono-ha to contemporary practices, Asian art engages dialectically with Western rationalism, developing a “non-possessive tactile perception” that rejects naming, representation, and control, standing in stark contrast to the Western desire for formal signification.

This exhibition situates itself within this art historical context, focusing on two Asian artists who navigate non-heritage urban environments. Their works innovate and interrogate the “nature of knowledge,” highlighting the agency of material itself while reexamining how Asian cultural heritage responds to the global context. They deconstruct and reconstruct the symbiotic relationship between knowledge and power from a sensory perspective, linking their philosophical gaze towards materiality to the unique modern experiences of Asia.

Pauline Shaw (born 1988) roots her practice in sculpture, intertwining personal history, cultural heritage, scientific inquiry, and mysticism. Her large-scale tapestry and installations construct fluid and fragmented abstract compositions through diverse visual sources, engaging in dialogue with the viewer’s experiential perception. Each craft and material Shaw employs carries complex cultural contexts, transforming material into a vessel that records intangible perceptions through processes of collage and abstraction. The final suspended felt panels question the fragility of preservation mechanisms and serve as visual manifestations of desire within the unknown

Ichi Tashiro (born 1984) has developed a unique vocabulary merging painting and sculpture. Evolving from early paper collages to mixed media works, he creates textures on wooden surfaces that exist between painting and sculpture through cutting, burning, and layering. Each piece undergoes destruction and transformation, constructing depth, color, and texture with non-pigment media. Tashiro views his scarred and aged works as akin to “body skin,” physical manifestations of the soul. Employing fire and knife as unconventional brushes, he masterfully balances strength and artistic expression. In doing so, he transforms emotion, history, and spirituality into a palpable and visually compelling experience.

The works of Shaw and Tashiro collectively reveal the dialectic between concealment and manifestation, rejecting the cognitive frameworks of Rationalism and viewing creation as a generative field of “embodied knowledge.” Their works function as meticulously arranged “echo chambers,” resonating with inner energy while intentionally distancing themselves from contemporary popular culture. Viewers encounter a continuously restructured, deconstructed, and re-engraved trajectory of experience: a set of ever-evolving perceptual devices.

As the contemporary art market embraces fiber and mixed media, the practices of these two artists transcend formal innovation, redefining the politics of perception and knowledge from an Asian perspective. Their works challenge standardized narratives, engaging in profound inquiries into the essence of art itself within a new context. They provide a lens through which to view “contemporary Asia,” infusing the international art market with a different sensibility and potential drawn from the deep textures of Eastern culture.

From the postwar era to the current generation, overseas Chinese and Asian diaspora artists have been a core focus in Each Modern’s construction of market value. In addition to representing long-term artists such as Hilo Chen, Li Yuan-Chia, and Lin Yihsuan, the gallery actively introduces overseas Chinese and Asian diaspora artists to collectors through group exhibitions and curatorial projects, while fostering connections and providing support to their international communities. Strengthening these artists’ ties with Taiwan has been one of the gallery’s key contributions in recent years. Notable exhibitions include Either is Good – Young Overseas Chinese Artists (2022), while the gallery has featured artists such as Antonia Kuo, Cole Lu, Jia YiRui, and Jeffrey Cheung, expanding global perspectives and fostering cross-regional dialogues within Asian contemporary art.