Where does an artistic journey begin? Does it begin the moment one becomes enlightened about culture? Does it begin in an artist's exploration of technique? Or in their foray into aesthetics? Where does it end in this boundless journey?

Tina Keng Gallery is pleased to present Yun Gee: Midjourney, a specially curated exhibition of the artist's oil paintings and works on paper, including sketches and drawings, which offer a glimpse into his creative, experimental process.

Immigrating to San Francisco at the age of 15 in 1921, Yun Gee developed a seminal style that grounds vibrant, bold colour blocks in cool, rigorous delineations. A style that found its roots in Cubism and flourished under the influence of Synchromism, championed by his mentors at the California School of Fine Arts. In 1927, Yun Gee was introduced to Prince and Princess Achille Murat, who were impressed by his work and encouraged him to move to Paris, which he did. Yun Gee's move to Paris exposed him to significant European influences. Earnestly embraced by the Parisian art circle, his work combined the fusion of East and West in an ingenious synergy of Chinese cultural symbols and Western painting styles.

Social upheaval in the 1930s sent Yun Gee back and forth between Paris and New York. In 1932 he was invited to be in the group exhibition Murals by American Painters and Photographers at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. For this exhibition he created the work Wheels: Industrial New York rendered in his singular 'Diamondism.' Years later, this fortified Yun Gee's status as one of the pioneering Chinese modern artists in history, as well as marking a milestone for Chinese artists.

Having lived in San Francisco, New York, and Paris, Yun Gee was propelled by his singular vision: redefining what painting is with a visual language that blurs the boundary between East and West. Voraciously, he explored the Chinese and Western artistic canons, from the Bible, murals, Chinese opera, to classical Chinese poetry. The avant-garde art movements and Eastern philosophical thoughts coalesced into a style that is distinctively Yun Gee's: Diamondism, which emphasised a rhythmic organisation of blocks and planes, brilliant contrasts, diamond-shaped divisions, and blending of vibrant colors, to break through spatial limitations and give voice to the stories and latent emotions behind his paintings.

The works on paper presented in this exhibition — some of them on view for the first time — shed light on the inner workings and creative nature of Yun Gee in his studio. Experimenting with colour, composition, ink, brush, and cultural symbolism, Yun Gee investigates through metaphor and narrative what defines painting. His endeavour, embodied in each work, attests to the life experiences of the times he inhabited.

Yun Gee: Midjourney highlights the legacy of this important Chinese modern painter of the 20th century, who devoted himself to the blurring of boundaries between cultures, blazing a trail for generations to come.

Born in 1906 in Guandong. Yun Gee moved to the U.S. at the age of 15. In 1925, he entered the California Academy of Art to study painting under Gottardo Piazzoni and Otis Oldfield. The latter became his good friend.

His first solo show was held at the Modern Gallery in San Francisco in 1926, where he met his first patrons, Prince and Princess Achille Murat, who encouraged him to go to France. He had several solo shows during his stay in Paris, and many of his works were selected to the Salon d'Automne, Salon des Indépendants, and Salon des Tuileries. In 1932, Yun Gee was invited by the Museum of Modern Art in New York to take part in an exhibition of murals. During the 1940s and 50s, Yun Gee continued his creative journey, exhibiting in various galleries in New York City. He passed away in 1963, at the age of 57.

In 1968, the Robert Schoelkopf Gallery in New York held a retrospective of his works, reviving his memory and bringing his work back into the limelight after so many years. Multiple retrospectives have been held in honor of Yun Gee, including The Art of Yun Gee, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (1992). Yun Gee developed a seminal style that grounds vibrant, bold colour blocks in cool, rigorous delineations. Rooted in Cubism and flourishing under the influence of Synchromism, such style cements Yun Gee's position as a pioneering Chinese modernist painter.

Press release courtesy Tina Keng Gallery.