Outset welcomes Taipei based artist Yahon Chang as its artist-in-residence in London from 28 January – 9 February 2019.

Exploring painting as performance, Chang uses elements from classical Chinese painting with gestural Western expressionism in a highly physical manner. Brought up in Taiwan after Japanese colonial rule, his works portray a particular visual language voicing agony, adversity and acceptance, whilst striving for higher spirituality and peace. Through the act of painting, both cultural and spiritual values are embodied in an intensely personal manner. Harking to Chinese ink-wash traditions, Chang uses a large ink brush to create powerful strokes on canvas or Chinese paper.

Since his performance at Manifesta12, the artist is exploring painting blind-folded, operating spontaneously directly onto canvas on the floor to create large-scale, abstract works, either strikingly monochrome or vibrantly colourful. Viewing art-making as a mind-body discipline, the artist explores the close relationship between tea ceremonies, traditional calligraphy, philosophy and Buddhism through performance. Using the residency as an alternative environment for artistic experimentation, innovation and research, Chang will produce new work on site and explore different ways of working.