NEW YORK, March 9, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Surrey, New York's only Relais & Chateaux hotel, partners with New York City galleries to present "Poeticizing Nature" an intimate contemporary exhibition for Asia Week New York. Curated by ArtMuse founder and the hotel's Art Expert in Residence, Natasha Schlesinger, the works will be on public display from March 10 – 19, 2016.
For "Poeticizing Nature," Schlesinger selects works by artists from Asia, as well as those of Asian background. Drawing on a theme indigent in many works of Chinese, Japanese and Korean art, the Asia Week installation focuses on poetic landscape through a contemporary lens. For example, Wonjung Choi's Fish + Feather, a hanging work fashioned from Plexi glass, hot glue and fishing line, gathers inspiration from shadow puppetry, an ancient form of storytelling. Another highlight is Ran Hwang's Ode To Second Full Moon is a motif crafted from hammering paper buttons to form textured blossoms.
Schlesinger's curated selections all echo traditional Asian subject matters in a contemporary light, and they will be displayed in The Surrey's lobby. The pieces share a connection to—and awe of—the mysteries and vast magnitude of nature. It is a transformative subject in which one can both lose and find themselves.
"Poeticizing Nature" at The Surrey includes the following works:
Wonjung Choi, Fish + Feather, 2016, Plexi, Hot Glue and Fishing Line
Represented by Voltz Clarke Gallery, www.voltzclarke.com
The Fish and Feather Series was inspired by Choi's relocation from Korea to the United States which left her with many feelings of uncertainty. As the artist looked for something to anchor her emotions her thoughts became centered on fossils. Choi saw the shared skeletal structures between the two forms as a metaphor. While these fossils are from different worlds, they shared a common thread.
Xin Yi, Blue Lagoon, 2015, C-Print
Represented by Voltz Clarke Gallery, www.voltzclarke.com
Xin Yi's photographic body of work is the result of wanderlust and an insatiable desire to uncover elusive pockets of beauty in the world. Her landscapes transcend moments of time and bring the viewer into an intimate moment of reflection.
Ran Hwang, Ode to Second Full Moon TNM, 2015 & Ode To Second Full Moon, 2015
Paper buttons, beads, pins, crystals on Plexiglas
Represented by Leila Heller Gallery, New York, www.leilahellergallery.com
Born in the Republic of Korea in 1960, Ran Hwang currently lives and works in both Seoul and New York City. Her motifs of intricate blossoms and Buddha's – which appear across a variety of media – stem from her fascination with Zen Buddhism. Buddhism is integral to Hwang's creative process and labor-intensive execution. To construct much of her work, Hwang creates paper buttons by hand, hammering each one approximately twenty-five times until it is secure. Her process requires the utmost concentration and discipline, recalling the meditative state practiced by Zen masters.
Junglin Lee, The American Deserts I-40, 1991 (Tree on the wall)
Courtesy of the Collection of Jill Quasha
Known for her laborious and handcrafted photographic work printed on handmade mulberry paper, Lee creates cross-cultural photographic landscapes, which intermix techniques and materials of Eastern and Western traditions of both painting and photography.
The Surrey in New York City boasts an extensive art collection including 31 works by artists like Chuck Close and Jenny Holzer. The hotel recently named ArtMuse Founder Natasha Schlesinger as its official Art Expert in Residence with the vision of making art engaging, educational and entertaining for all.
As the host hotel for Asia Week New York, The Surrey is offering visiting collectors and cultural explorers a VIP rate for the duration of their stay. To learn more, visit www.thesurrey.com.
About The Surrey
The Surrey is New York City's only Relais & Châteaux hotel, owned and operated by Denihan Hospitality Group. An intimate hideaway to the stars of the 1920s, it currently operates more like a glamorously re-imagined Beaux Arts townhouse than hotel. Its location provides cultured guests direct access to Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and top fashion houses and restaurants on Madison Avenue. Discreet service allows for calm personal space for a "Privately New York" experience. The Surrey offers an extensive art collection led by Art Expert & Historian Natasha Schlesinger, world-class dining by Café Boulud, the atmospheric Bar Pleiades, Cornelia Spa and a Private Roof Garden. Its 189 exquisite salons and suites were created by Lauren Rottet, accommodating celebrities, style-icons and art aficionados the world over. The Surrey was named #1 New York City hotel by readers of Condé Nast Traveler in 2015. For information and reservations, please visit www.thesurrey.com.
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