Andrew Kreps Gallery is pleased to announce Hex, an exhibition of new paintings by Henry Shum at 55 Walker.
Henry Shum’s work mirrors the experience of contemporary daily life, and the constant mediation of various streams of imagery and information. In his paintings, Shum distills disparate references culled from physical and digital sources, as well as his own imagination into psychologically-charged compositions. Dynamic spatial effects emerge from thin veils of paint, as architectural space collides with natural forms and abstract geometry. Achieved through a chemical manipulation of oil paint, rich areas of saturated pigment sit against faint washes, creating forms that hover between the real and imagined. This interplay between opacity and transparency extends to the works’ subjects. While Shum employs a highly personal language, he maneuvers through collective, and individual experiences, building emotive resonance through lurid and atmospheric color. Throughout, Shum positions his work within a liminal space where memory, and history can flow freely to shape a distinct view of the present.
Hex is Henry Shum’s (b.1998, Hong Kong) first solo exhibition in the United States. Shum lives and works in Hong Kong, and received his BA from Chelsea College of Arts, London, in 2020. Empty Gallery, Hong Kong presented Shum’s first solo exhibition in 2020.
