The Asian Bleeding Heart exhibition will debut the paintings of Singaporean diasporic artist Leonard Yang. From September 5th to 20th 2024, this exhibition at the Chinese American Arts Council’s Gallery 456, will feature a series of 20 recent paintings that span Eastern and Western imaginations. Leonard Yang’s work expresses the feelings felt by a diasporic artist in a turbulent time in history, where conflict and technology divide humanity like never before. His bright and highly-saturated paintings offer joy, happiness, anguish, fear and satisfaction, seeking to convey love and optimism at a time when being an immigrant in the United States feels so uncomfortable and difficult. These paintings reflect upon how homeland fades, time dilates and places blend together in the minds of the Asian diaspora. New identities are forged, memories of early years at home flash through one’s eyes in episodes of poignant nostalgia.
Leonard Yang’s free and spontaneous use of abstract color and gesture elicit humanoid and animalistic forms, in his process of discovery while painting. The symbolism in his paintings beckons the myths, landscapes, cultural icons, and landmarks of his home region of Southeast Asia. As an immigrant artist currently based in New York City, his paintings delve into a personal journey of living with and resisting autocracy while expressing a deep longing for freedom and the pursuit of a more harmonized world. Vibrant colors convey a longing for a kinder and more connected world and reveal feelings that range from wonderment and joy to anxiety, fear, horror, and despair.
Leonard’s work has been exhibited widely across the state of New York and abroad, including in exhibitions at the Silvermine Gallery, Gallery MC, Bowery Gallery, Mizuma Gallery, The Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore (ICAS), and The Visual Arts Development Association (VADA) Singapore. Leonard has held residencies at Millay Arts, NY, The Alex Brown Foundation, IA, and the Goethe Institute Indonesia and has an MFA from the Parsons School of Design.
Leonard will hold a press conference on Wednesday September 3rd at 3:00pm and the series will be on display from September 5th to 20th at Gallery 456, located at 456 Broadway. There will be an opening reception on September 5th from 6 - 8pm as well as an artist talk on September 14th at 2:00pm, which will discuss diasporic art in general, and Leonard’s art in particular. A closing reception will take place on September 19th from 5-7pm and private viewings with Leonard can be booked at any time over the exhibit.