In 2022, Shen Yongji's solo exhibition "Dawn" opened in Ningbo, serving as a summary of his
artistic creations up to that point. "Dawn" showcased the multifacetedness of Yongji's artistic
creations, ranging from on-display works to outdoor public art works, space installation works,
as well as his earliest known gold and silver inlaying works. These different series of works
construct a complete artistic world of Shen Yongji. "Dawn" essentially revealed a series of
creations and artistic ideals of Shen Yongji that extended beyond his gold and silver inlaying
works, including his abstract acrylic works. At that time, "Dawn" represented a breakthrough
from a difficult situation for Yongji as an artist, which was a variable that had undergone a
qualitative change. In the past year, the world has obviously undergone significant changes,
and the ideals of "Dawn" have become the reality we live in. However, will the ideal really be
realized one day? The artist's creation changes along with the reality, and the world changes,
we also change, these are eternal variables.
After a year, following the closing of "Dawn" in Ningbo, Shen Yongji began a new round of
self-breakthroughs and creations. The current exhibition "Variable: Shen Yongji Solo
Exhibition" in the Art Granary is a response of the artist to "Dawn" after a year. Several changes
have taken place in this exhibition: firstly, the composition of works has changed, the
exhibition consists of Yongji's new works that purely showcase his explorations in new media
and new styles; secondly, from Ningbo to Beijing, it signifies a change in the context of
Yongji's creation, he returned from Ningbo to Beijing for work and studies, these two cities
carry a dual significance in his artistic life; thirdly, the creative attempts Yongji made at "Dawn"
have become more mature, "Variable" and "Dawn" has a certain connection in essence,
"Dawn" is the accumulation and change of phenomenon, while "Variable" is a general
feature of the era we live in, in recent years.
Whether it is the traditional gold and silver inlaying sculpture or his attempts at new media
and styles, Shen Yongji's works reflect the rational factors of the artist beyond his emotional
thinking. At the same time, the passing of time in both these sequences becomes a mode of
the artist's work, visible to the naked eye in his polishing and shaping of the works. Time is
also one of the "variable" that make up Shen Yongji's works, in my opinion, "time" in Shen
Yongji's art is divided into two clear threads, on the one hand, he spends a lot of time traveling
to explore Chinese traditional sculpture, accompanying mountains and rivers, walking with
history; on the other hand, he spends a lot of time being in seclusion. His studio is located in
a high-rise in Ningbo, rather than typical art district studios, which means that Shen Yongji's
art time belongs to himself. The variable of time ultimately feeds back into Shen Yongji's
creations, and we see the visible variables in his works, as the forms and colors that make up
his works also constitute a trend of ordered change.Overall, Shen Yongji's exhibition "Variable" at the Art Granary is a retrospective and answer
to "Dawn" in 2022. In the passage of a year, the world, the artist, and we who are swept up in
the tide of the times have all undergone profound changes. Art is a dialogue, and also a
reboot of reunion. Shen Yongji's "Variable" exhibition is a long-awaited reunion, under the
name of "Variable" not only allows us to experience the changes of the times and the
transformation of an artist's inner journey,but also to feel the emotions of life that never
change, and eternal ideals.
