The

Taotie

About the
Exhibition

After an 18-month residency at Compton Verney, Gayle Chong Kwan (b.1974) presents an exhibition of her new work alongside Compton Verney’s internationally renowned Chinese collection of bronze food and wine vessels from the Shang Dynasty (about 1500 – about 1050 BCE) to the Ming Dynasty (1369 – 1644 CE).

The artist, known for large scale installations of videos and photos, has created seven new photographic works, responding to the collection during her residency. They are accompanied by ‘shrines’ made up of newly cast bronze offerings, and incorporate references to Chinese, Taoist and Buddhist cultures, as well as focusing on ideas around food, soil and the body.

The title of the exhibition refers to a Chinese mythical creature that would commonly be emblazoned on Shang Dynasty bronzes. She has made her own personal three-dimensional taotie motifs, made from collaged images and photographs, all different shapes and sizes. Each work will refer to a different Chinese animal of the zodiac, as well as drawing upon the myths of the Hungry Ghost festival, common in East Asian countries in which spirits of deceased ancestors rise.

The ambitious show will explore sustenance, memory and rituals, while also directly highlighting the politics and provenance of collections and museums in the modern age.