Yu Hong: Islands of the Mind

Inspired by the iconic Symbolist series by Arnold Böcklin, Yu Hong creates contemporary mournful islands of her own. Chinese painter Yu Hong (born 1966) constructs modern-day fables and complex, allegorical compositions that channel historical, narrative-driven art as seen through a fiercely contemporary lens. Her newest series is inspired by the elegiac funeral depicted in Island of the Dead. (1880-1901), the most famous work of Swiss Symbolist painter Arnold Böcklin (1827-1901). Each painting by Yu features figures on a solitary island beset by crashing waves. Each entry represents a different emotion, underpinned by dread, until the viewer is able to, in Böcklin's words, "dream into the world of dark shadows. " This body of work expands on the large, dramatic scenes Yu exhibited as part of Another One Bites the Dust. , her first major solo exhibition that occurred during the Venice Biennale, characterized by their grandiose, often grotesque depictions of contemporary social anxieties.