PEIHANG BENOÎT

Her journey, spanning from Taipei to the United States, London, and now Paris, intricately intersects with her newfound role as a mother. In her paintings, the transition from a wandering artist immersed in diverse landscapes to a parent is revealed through the evolving hues of her brushstrokes, navigating memories from past journeys to the present.

In her Parisian chapter, the city serves both as muse and constraint. This exhibition, named after Benoît’s first home in Paris ‘7 Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques,’ encapsulates her nuanced journey—an artist and a woman actively immersed in household maintenance- the everyday life experienced by many. This immersion portrays the repetitive nature of daily life, exploring the delicate balance of family and artistic development. The interrogation of identity also plays a central role in Benoît’s new work. StarIng a family, moving to Paris and taking on her husband’s last name, so as to better assimilate into her new city, Benoît, an artist and expatriate who has resided in diverse locales, grapples with questions of belonging and personal experiences.

While her daily routine as a parent has replaced the adventurous travels of her past, within her mental space, she assumes the role of a ‘Flâneuse,’ constructing a private world that transcends the limitations of time and space. It is not just a reflection of what she has lost but, more importantly, an abundant celebration of the moments of joy she has discovered. From the familiar spaces of her home and blending them with the ephemeral places she has once been, the celebration of daily affection and the contemplation of competing identities are seamlessly woven into her paintings.

This realm is immortalised through intricate brushstrokes, layered paint, and an array of references spanning from the past travels to the present. The paintings outline poetic narratives about the body, memory, and movement, capturing moments of profound emotion and revealing the interplay of multi-layered identities.

Benoît’s journey, depicted in emotionally charged tales, crafts fragmented identities, space, and time. From Peihang Huang to Peihang Benoit, 7 Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, Paris, to 15 Lane 548 Ruiguang Road, Taipei , it is a heartfelt portrayal of an artist, a woman, a mother, a wife, situated in the space between movement and stillness, in time and out of time.

Press release courtesy TKG+ Exhibitions