SHELL - Solo exhibition of Sunny J at Shangyuan Art Museum, Beijing, China

Sunny J, at her young age of 23, already possesses a rich, if not at least intriguing, artistic practice. Among many mediums she is adept at, performance is her way of questioning established societal values such as the marriage ; the artist also expresses herself through painting, currently her main and most glorified medium.

Her artistic journey, till today, embraces the value of eroticism of decomposed human bodies, magnified through a highly recognizable style, a “macabre surrealism” evident in her past series such as the Daring Tales, Not a Single One, and Tarot J. If her painting draws inspiration from popular cultures such as fairy tales or board games, her object is much more psychoanalytic and interrogates the deepest part of the human soul, employing as main threads concepts such as the identity disorder, the love, and the woman figure as a double symbol of sexuality and emancipation.

The young artist presents today an exhibition with the theme « SHELL » : which, in different languages, may refer to the coquillage (French, seashell/eggshell, or anything fragile that may crack), the packaging, a false promesse, or a beautiful appearance without content…

This new collection shows us, in a captivating way, the evolution of her art. Just like her subjects seeking emancipation, her forms also strive to liberate themselves and to break off pre-established manacles. The artist mixes multiple expressions (painting/embroidery/knitting), and plays with the volume, textures, and materials.

- Pierre Borlée [BELGIUM]