Anomaly Shanghai presents “Urban Myths”, a solo exhibition of independent illustrator and artist ASIR, at Anomaly OPEN Space. The new exhibition, opening on April 15, 2024, transforms the gallery into a chic sanctuary with Greek-pottery-inspired colored walls and floor, showcasing artworks and myth tales that blurs then and now.
Anomaly OPEN is a cultural platform established by Anomaly Shanghai, that hosts talks, events and exhibitions in support of the broader creative community. Past notable exhibitions in the space have included typography designer Ying Yonghui, artist Nathan Zhou, photographer Rich Shuie, and a collaboration with Magazine B to create an immersive Reading Room experience.
ASIR was born and raised in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province where he is currently based and works as a Primary school Chinese teacher. A regular contributor to lifestyle and fashion magazines, ASIR also has published a series of picture books for children, telling folktales from his own childhood memories with meticulously hand-painted graphics.
The exhibition “Urban Myths” draws upon ASIR’s latest series of pottery paintings of Greek mythological tales, reinterpreting them to symbolize symptoms of our contemporary urban life. The audience will be surprised to realize that they are facing similar aspiration and frustration as the ancient gods. “Urban Myths” brings humor into trending topics among the inhabitants of the metropolis. Imagining our life as those of the Olympians, the exhibition inspires modern life with ancient wisdom.
“I think the content expressed in Greek mythology is no different from the spiritual world of contemporary people. Gods, like humans, are tortured by power, trapped by love, and teased by fate. I want to use the expressive power of ancient pottery art to travel through time and space together to experience and imagine the inner spiritual world of the ancient Greeks—that ancient civilization where gods and humans coexisted,” says ASIR.
Anomaly also invites ASIR to lead a workshop on their practice. To find out about the event schedule and ways of participation, please follow TheUnreasonable, Anomaly’s WeChat platform for cultural programmes. The exhibition opens for free to the public daily from 11a.m. to 6p.m. though July 2024.
Exhibition Duration: April 15 to July, 2024
Address: Anomaly OPEN Space, 205 South Wulumuqi Road, Xuhui, Shanghai
Open: Daily from 11a.m. to 6p.m. | Free Admission
For information about events, please follow @非常创意 TheUnreasonable or visit http://anomaly.huodongxing.com
