"Stillness in Bloom"
23 May - 12 July 2026
Maison JE Bangkok
Taiwanese artist Yu Chuan Chang draws inspiration from garlands, which are part of Bangkok's daily life, to create contemporary paintings that bridge Eastern and Western art. His floral creations convey the concept of impermanence by capturing the beautiful moment of bloom, rendering it timeless on canvas in the "Stillness in Bloom" exhibition at Maison JE Bangkok.
- Garland of Eternity
On the streets of Bangkok and in front of the Erawan Shrine, traditional floral garlands appear almost everywhere. Although these flowers are destined to fade quickly, people continue to thread marigolds and jasmine with devotion and care, offering their most beautiful form within a fleeting moment, an encounter with impermanence in everyday life. This philosophy deeply resonates with and aligns with the artist's practice.
In this exhibition, Yu Chuan's floral works are presented as a "Garland of Eternity," or a garland suspended in eternity, offered to Bangkok. Each brushstroke and layered application of paint is likened to needle and thread, gently weaving petals together, binding time, emotion, and memory onto the canvas.
If the value of garlands lies in the acceptance of decay, the essence of these paintings becomes a "gentle act of preserving a moment", holding flowers at their fullest bloom and allowing them to remain within an endless season of beauty without fading.
"Painting transforms fleeting beauty into eternity, dissolving the destined fading of flowers. The blossoms on these canvases no longer wither, but continue to exist in another form." - Yu Chuan Chang
- Journey of Artistic Refinemen
The artworks in the "Stillness in Bloom" exhibition reflect the accumulation of Yu Chuan's artistic experiences, shaped by travel, lived experiences, and inner exploration, which has gradually paved the way for his own unique code of painting.
Born in 1982, Yu Chuan graduated from the National Taiwan University of Arts. After graduation, he has lived and worked in various countries, including Spain, Italy, Japan, and other major art cities, seeking inspiration and expanding his creative boundaries. These cross-cultural experiences became a vital foundation that has enabled his work to blend Western materials with Eastern culture and painting techniques, uniquely combining the two worlds.
Over the years, the artist has showcased his work in both solo and group exhibitions across major art cities worldwide, such as Taipei, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Berlin, London, Florence, Lyon, and New York. His artworks have attracted attention from both local and international collectors, including renowned British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, global actor Jackie Chan, and Taiwanese IT tycoon Kai-Fu Lee.
- Distinctive Painterly Language
Yu Chuan's creative approach stands out for its blend of traditional Chinese brush techniques and oil paint, allowing the rhythm of each stroke, the flow of color, and emotional expression to significantly shape the composition.
His brushstrokes are raw, bold, and powerful, reflecting the balance of distinctiveness and indistinctiveness in human life. The colors in his works - distinctively earth tones - communicate about vitality as well as emotion.
Influenced by Chinese myths and philosophies, his paintings open the door to inner worlds and metaphysics as they explore the relationships between humans, nature, and invisible forces.
Over the years, the artist has developed various series of works, depicting flowers, animals, flowers and birds, landscapes, rocks, and holy monsters. These series deeply reflect his interest in symbols, myths, and nature.
- Five Series in Transitional Period
Between 2019 and 2023, Yu Chuan developed five consecutive series of works that reflect both artistic and spiritual exploration through experimentation with materials and working methods, as well as the questioning of the inner state.
These series are Beginning with One by One (2019), Breaking the Self (2020), For White (2021), Becoming (2022), and By Stillness & Observation (2023). Each series represents a stage of transition—from reducing form, color, and control, letting go of attachments, and experimenting with applying oil paint without brushes, to confronting "emptiness" as a state of inner awareness and receptivity.
- Eternizing Blooming Moment
In the "Stillness in Bloom" exhibition, visitors will experience artworks inspired by garlands in Bangkok's way of life. Yu Chuan presents the bloom in his distinctive style of contemporary paintings that blend Eastern brush techniques with Western oil painting.
Every brushstroke and overlapping layer of color resembles the stringing of petals onto the canvas, profoundly intertwining time, memories, and emotions.
This series of artworks is not merely a presentation of visual beauty; it invites viewers to contemplate impermanence and observe familiar everyday things through a fresh perspective by capturing the moment of bloom on canvas.
The "Stillness in Bloom" exhibition by Yu Chuan Chang will be held from 23 May to 12 July 2026, between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM (closed on Mondays), at Maison JE Bangkok, Surawong Road, Bang Rak District, Bangkok. Admission is free.
