Silent Symphony: A Tribute to Tear

2

This catalog is an accompaniment to the exhibit organized and presented by Unbound Visual Arts, Inc. Edited and produced by Unbound Visual Arts, Inc. Exhibit Assistants: Jessica Hernandez, Natalie Schweikhart, Shuxian Zhang, Jingyi Wang Exhibit Coordinator: John Quatrale

UVA MISSION STATEMENT Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) is a unique Allston-Brighton (MA) based non-profit art organization. We serve the Greater Boston community with impactful educational programs and exhibits to encourage learning, engagement, and change.

UVA Board of Directors & Council of Advisors Louise Bonar, Tsun-Ming Chmielinski, Francis Gardino, Marcie Laden, Madeline Lee, Jeanne Lin, Susan Loomis-Wing, Brenda Gael McSweeney, Andrea Newman, Ira-Ilana Papadopoulou, John Quatrale, Ruth Rieffanaugh, Diane Sheridan, Karen Smigliani, Jennifer Turpin

3

Unbound Visual Arts Inc. 43 N. Beacon St. Arthaus Gallery Allston, MA 02134 UnboundVisualArts.org info@UnboundVisualArts.org 617-657-4278

Copyright 2023 Unbound Visual Arts, Inc. Nothing in this catalog may be reproduced in any manner without permission, except for exhibit and art reviews or other educational purposes.

4

Artist Biography: Yolanda He Yang is a Boston-based artist whose practice encompasses both personal studio work and public art.

Through her explorations in body movement performance and three-dimensional works, Yolanda delves into the hidden layers of emotional experience, offering poetic presentations that invite the viewer to experience space beyond its surface appearance the total rupture of the boundaries imposed between inside and outside, space and time. Drawing from her extensive background in meditation practice, Yolanda's studio work focuses on exposing the factual realities of change that often go unnoticed. Her pieces often convey a mournful beauty, speaking to the process of healing and the embrace of vulnerabilities. Using humble everyday materials, she skillfully reframes details and moments of everyday experience, offering new perspectives and insights.

In her public art work, Yolanda seeks to engage communities through civic projects. By responding to site conditions and the realities of our contemporary world, she creates urban artwork installations that explore concepts of beauty, equity, and communication. Her practice aims to nurture sensibilities of feelings, awakening people's awareness of interconnectedness.

Examples of her recent public artwork include Winter Optics - Sculptures with Lights at The Rose Kennedy Greenway recommended by Boston Globe Tickets, Blank Paper - Public Art Demonstration in Responding to Censorship in China covered by WBUR and The Harvard Crimson, and Napalm Test #1, which was featured on The Harvard Crimson.

Yolanda is also the initiator and caretaker of "Behind VA Shadows" - a community-based project that highlights working artists in art museums.

Through her multifaceted practice, Yolanda continues to push boundaries and explore new ways of engaging with art and the world around us.

Artist Statement: "Silent Symphony - A Tribute to Tears" is a contemplative journey that explores the deeply personal and yet universally relatable experience of shedding tears. In crafting my pieces, I seek to evoke a sense of the ethereal through the use of varied media such as shards, lights, shadows, walls, plaster, and vestiges. I utilize sensations and metaphors within each entity we take for granted as the medium, intending to create a visceral and poetic experience.

My artistic endeavors reflect my innermost being while also providing commentary on global issues of insecurity and vulnerability. The works in this collection highlight the 5

delicate balance between personal and communal experiences of tears and speak to the fragility of our emotions and the importance of caring for both ourselves and others.

With pieces such as "Surface 1, 2" and "A Field of Disappearing Tears," I have taken direct physical contact with the walls of institutions to emphasize the sensation of insecurity that can arise within our bodies when we are confronted with institutional power structures. Each piece in the collection explores the intricate layers of emotion that accompany tears, encompassing the range from joy to pain, release to healing.

My aspiration for "Silent Symphony - A Tribute to Tears" is to provide a space for reflection and contemplation, to remind us of the power of vulnerability, and the importance of holding space for our emotions. The exhibition invites the viewer to join me in celebrating our shared humanity and the beauty that resides within our tears.

Declaración del artista: "Silent Symphony - A Tribute to Tears" es un viaje contemplativo que explora la experiencia profundamente personal y universalmente identificable de derramar lágrimas. Al crear mis piezas, busco evocar una sensación de lo etéreo mediante el uso de diversos medios, como fragmentos, luces, sombras, paredes, yeso y vestigios.

Utilizo sensaciones y metáforas dentro de cada entidad que damos por sentada como medio, con la intención de crear una experiencia visceral y poética.

Mis esfuerzos artísticos reflejan mi ser más íntimo al mismo tiempo que brindan comentarios sobre problemas globales de inseguridad y vulnerabilidad. Las obras de esta colección destacan el delicado equilibrio entre las experiencias personales y comunitarias de las lágrimas y hablan de la fragilidad de nuestras emociones y la importancia de cuidar de nosotros mismos y de los demás.

Con piezas como "Surface 1, 2" y "A Field of Disappearing Tears", he tomado contacto físico directo con las paredes de las instituciones para enfatizar la sensación de inseguridad que puede surgir dentro de nuestros cuerpos cuando nos enfrentamos a las estructuras de poder institucional. . Cada pieza de la colección explora las intrincadas capas de emoción que acompañan a las lágrimas, abarcando el rango desde la alegría hasta el dolor, desde la liberación hasta la curación.

Mi aspiración para "Silent Symphony - A Tribute to Tears" es brindar un espacio para la reflexión y la contemplación, para recordarnos el poder de la vulnerabilidad y la importancia de dejar espacio para nuestras emociones. La exposición invita al espectador a unirse a mí para celebrar nuestra humanidad compartida y la belleza que reside en nuestras lágrimas.

6

Artworks:

Silent Symphony, Mirror 20’’ x 11’’ 50.8 cm x 27.9 cm

Holographic, Fishnet, 10’ x 10’ 304.8 cm x 304.8 cm

Surface - 2, Shards, Plaster, Paint, Size TBD

Surface - 1, Shards, Plaster, Paint, Size TBD

7

When Doves Cry, 2023, Concrete, Mirror, 5’’ x 7’’ x 10’’ 12.7 cm x 17.7 cm x 25.4 cm

The clear thing, 2023, Jel, Zipper, Thread, 6’ x 4’ x 2’ 182.8 cm x 121.9 cm x 60.9 cm

A Field for Appearing Tears, 2023, Mirror, 10’ x 10’ x 6’’ 304.8 cm x 304.8 cm x 15.2 cm

Art in this exhibit may be purchased by visiting the gallery or going to the Unbound Visual Arts online art Shop 8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16