The Substance of Mirage

Ora-Ora will be presenting the first solo show at Ora-Ora by Chinese contemporary artist Jiang Heng, titled: The Substance of Mirage. The artist, native of Guangdong Province in southern China, invites us, at an individual and at a societal level, to question what is real and what we choose to value, probing the impermanence or durability of cultural norms in a world of speed and production. Cherished viewpoints, traditions and customs may evaporate in the hunt for material advancement and fleeting pleasure. Jiang Heng has enjoyed a multi-decade career from his base in Guangzhou, narrating the rapid and continued ascent of the industrial powerhouse of southern China with his brush, and exploring its direction, tendencies, effects on the population and likely ramifications. Throughout this time of change, he has been uniquely positioned at the nexus of industry, consumer culture and tradition. The Substance of Mirage will focus on two series of the artist’s works: “Artificial Hairs,” vividly coloured paintings, and “I Divided My Body Into Pixels For You,” his textured, layered, sculptural colour and wood installations. Visitors to the gallery are invited to consider Jiang Heng’s “Artificial Hairs” series in the light of their own personal values, morals, judgments and lifestyles, deciding what truly matters, and what is likely to seem ephemeral or insignificant after the lapse of time.