“New York: Michael Lin Art Exhibition and After Party.”
- Michael Lin

Time flies, it's time to fly. I have been lazy and have not travelled for several months. A friend called me to New York. Yes, life in Vancouver is too relaxing and I should travel to New York to feel the busyness.

When it comes to New York, the melody of "IMAGINE" by John Lennon is always in my mind. Lennon longed for world harmony and art is a global platform for that harmony. I accepted the invitation of my friend and went to New York. Together we would prepare an After Party for artist Michael Lin after his exhibition.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City (2022)

Michael Lin

Internationally renowned painter and conceptual artist

Source：Youtube - BLOUIN ARTINFO

In 1964, he was born in a Taiwanese family in Tokyo, Japan. Later, the whole family moved to Los Angeles, USA. In 1990, he graduated from Otis College of Art and Design, a famous art school in Los Angeles.

He also obtained an MFA from the world-renowned Art Center College of Design.

Japan, Taiwan and the United States, international life laid a good foundation for his later creation.

The traditional floral pattern is his inspiration

You may be familiar with his floral pattern art, but you may not know that his art career began with two traditional floral pillows at home. In 1996, he participated in an exhibition with a theme of "Interior" in ITPark and these two pillows which appeared in his painting had become a hot topic among the visitors. This unexpected discovery let him realize the culture and collective memory inside the traditional floral pattern.

“Creation is developed out of nothing. I choose patterns from floral cretonne. My role is to be a selector and a worker living in society. My works are dialogues with society, and they are not superior at all.”

— Michael Lin

Cretonne with traditional floral patterns seems tacky but with the creativity of Michael Lin, it becomes a unique artwork.

A large-scale public artwork integrating tradition and modernity

In addition to traditional paintings and artworks, Michael Lin believes that the appreciation of a painting is not only one-way but also an interaction between the painting and the audience.

“I hope to break the boundary of painting appreciation so that artwork can be stepped on, lie down and sit.”

— Michael Lin

Integrating traditional floral art into public buildings and art galleries, Michael Lin always thinks outside the box to challenge the traditional framework of art. He added a unique visual design to walls, floors and various interior elements to let the audience become a part of the painting and have a deep reflection on themselves, art and architecture.

Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (2001)

His art connects space and people from all over the world.

Minimalism throughout his creations

Looking at Michael Lin’s artwork in detail, you will find that there is minimalism in these colourful floral patterns. For example, he intentionally removed some elements of the pattern and created dislocations between patterns to eliminate the relationship.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (2015)

Let us enter this floral world and appreciate Michael Lin’s unique aesthetics!

Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila, Philippines (2016)

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2017)

Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, Canada (2020)

Once “Grandma’s cretonne” was gradually disappearing in people's lives but now it has become popular internationally. Free and uninhibited creations have given a new life to these patterns.

Michael Lin designed the Untitled collection for the French porcelain brand, Bernardaud.
Source: etne

Art is a universal language

An ordinary piece of traditional floral cretonne opened up infinite possibilities for Michael Lin. The international stage has allowed him to take the Eastern aesthetics of floral patterns to the next level.

After Party

International Art Dinner

After stepping out of the dream world created by Michael Lin, I prepared the After Party with friends.

Here are some paintings for decoration.

Michael Lin’s 000 series have been exhibited in many museums such as Pecci Museum in Italy, The National Museum in Taiwan, The Moscow Biennial in Russia and The Pearl Art Museum in Shanghai.

A bouquet of flowers is thrown up against a clear blue background (i.e. the sky) and straddled the edge of the canvas to allude to infinite emptiness, like the endless sky. The large area of blue integrates calm and introversion in Eastern culture as well as generosity and the uninhibited manner in Western culture. The unique aesthetics of the painting is varied by viewing from different angles. It is no surprise that the 000 series become popular around the world.

The azure background of the painting just filled in the empty wall and added an artistic colour to our space.

Floral patterns are the main theme of Michael Lin’s creation. Of course, this element was essential to the party. The colourful patterns in this painting are very attractive, making people walk into his art world gradually. The dislocation created between the patterns eliminates the relationship giving more space for thinking.

Art brings us a common language, a common world, and a common freedom. The melody of "IMAGINE" is still playing in my mind, "I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one" Lennon's ideals made wonderful lyrics touching our hearts from time to time.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on October 7th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

Angela Bi is the founder of TCT Arte House, a global digital community for investors interested in a trusted resource in the world of art, culture, travel, well-being and wealth management. With over 20 years of business experience in both China and North America, she has established a private global network of high-net-worth Chinese to invest in high-profile landmark projects in NY, CA, and Europe and has curated for her clients some of the most invaluable investments to ensure the best quality of life.

毕颖是TCT Arte House的创始人，这是一个数字化礼宾服务平台，集合全球可信赖的投资资源包括艺术、文化、旅游、健康和财富管理等领域。游走中国及北美、拥有20多年的业务经验，她已建立了一个由高净值资产中国人组成的私人全球网络，以投资于纽约、加州和欧洲等知名地标项目，并为她的客人们在世界范围策划私密的奢华体验，以确保最佳的生活品质。

No Art, No Freedom

Angela Bi 毕颖