2025.06.03 - 2025.06.28

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Through the lens of romantic Realism, this exhibition illustrates the passage of time, as well as a sense of spirituality shaped through the experiences of life. I use the image of a horse as a spiritual symbol, indicative of the authentic, unmasked self. The relationship between horses and humans signifies a state of self-empowerment. Through taming them, we can achieve speed, strength, grace, and struggle.

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In recent years, people have begun to re-examine the relationship between consciousness and time. In 1922, during the debate in Paris between Einstein and Henri Bergson, Einstein argued that physical time is the true time, represented by the readings of clocks. Bergson, on the other hand, believed that true time is the flow of consciousness. It is your breath in the present moment, the intertwining of memory and anticipation, and the overall flow of life.

 

I believe that painting transcends our understanding of physical time. When you stand in front of a piece that touches your soul, time comes to a standstill. We return to the interweaving of memory, reality, and the future. Time is the essence of our lives. When painting, I use color, shape, and academic training, to ultimately reveal the most precious part of life – our fleeting memories. Art can reveal truth in illusions and evoke spirit in form. It is one’s consciousness set free.

 

Liu Cheng Mui