Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalist

Pei-ying HUANG, in her solo exhibition “Spreading” at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, whether from the continuity of its creative ideas, strength of conceptual execution, the degree of the projects’ completion, or the juxtaposition of the new installation site with the earlier work, all inspire our confidence and deep impression of this young artist.   Huang utilizes pure corrugated paper as a principal material and skillfully constructs several kinds of mechanical structures.  In using a coral reef as inspiration for the series “Spreading,” honeycombs for the “Nesting” series, and a loose imitation of limestone caverns for “Flowing,” not only can we examine the small elements, but we can also easily perceive the larger structures as if traveling past them by boat.  All aspects successfully draw together the project and the independent features of the exhibition space, through moments of mystery and treachery, and moments of life and abundance. Giving this slightly unfriendly basement level exhibition space a fresh and rarely seen perspective.  The attractive forms of Huang’s work actually offer a counterpoint to the industrial product of corrugated paper, the repetition of which recalls the violence of handling, and then this exquisite reorganization of the material is bound together by glue.  It can also be viewed as the artist’s descent from the Industrial Revolution, wherein the conditions of humanity and the natural environment are separated with every passing day.  Inherent within the work is a subtle complaint, but one that is reconciled by individualism.  Situated amid new media dominated environment of contemporary art, Huang’s industrious mode of creation through extensive manual labor brought a breath of fresh air.    

（By Committee Member Yu-ling LEE）