Pencil, colored pencil, oil colored pencil, oil stick, crayon, water color, Japanese ink on paper
113⅞ x 123½ inches
Courtesy of the Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Collection
He Xiangyu's experimental practice can be seen as both a material testing ground and conceptual laboratory that investigates diverse personal, social and political themes. Much of his work is concerned with themes of perception, translation, and transmutation. The present work is part of the artist’s ongoing Palate Project (2012-present) in which the artist addresses a more personal subject matter. This group of six drawings executed in ink and mixed media on paper translate the ridges, bumps and grooves of his palate, as perceived by his tongue, into various visual forms that identify as anatomical structures or dissolve into playful abstractions. Poetic and introspective, the series began during a short residency in America where he experienced an insurmountable language barrier. The palate is significant because it directly influences the sounds we produce across cultures and its shape can affect the pronunciation of specific words or sounds when speaking a new language.
