Uruguayan artists bring works to Beijing

A two-hand exhibition showcasing Uruguayan artists Gaston Chavat and Ine Agresta, and the fruits of their 15-day residency in China, opened on Thursday at the Uruguayan embassy in Beijing.

They spent four days at Jingdezhen Ceramic University in East China’s Jiangxi province between July 2 and 5, working with local artists to create ceramic sculptures. They then flew to Yulin in North China’s Shaanxi province, where they worked at the Yukou International Art Town until July 17.

Both born in 1988, the duo first met when studying at the University of the Republic in Uruguay. Chavat majored in industrial design, while Agresta focused on fashion and textile design.

“We have been friends for 16 years. We used to make art together back in university and it felt so good to have the opportunity to work together again,” Agresta said.

The highlight of the show is a large-scale painting co-created by the pair in Yulin. The vibrant composition is full of images characterizing their life experiences, according to Agresta. On the center of the canvas are their portraits done in a cartoon style, with Chinese characters gege and meimei (brother and sister) written close by.

Also on view are works from the duo’s recent output.

Chavat’s colorful paintings feature cartoonish, bright images of fauna and flora endemic to Uruguay. The symmetry in their composition evokes altars and emanates mystery.

Agresta, who obtained her master’s degree in art theory from Beijing Jiaotong University, drew inspiration from Chinese zodiac animals such as the dragon and the pig in making her textile sculptures, which attracted much adoration from viewers.

The labor-intensive dragon sculpture, displayed in a pile, consists of 30 sections carefully sewn together. “I made this piece when I turned 30 and each section represents a year of my life,” said Agresta, who describes her artistic practice as a journey of self-definition.

The duo said the residency, though short, left a deep impression on them.

They praised the Dodo Art Museum in Yulin for giving children free access and an immersive opportunity to learn about art.

Dodo Art Museum, founded by famous Chinese sculptor Liu Ruowang, is located in Yukou International Art Town. In 2017, Liu, a Yulin native, began the project in his hometown to realize rural revitalization through art. Funded by the local government, the town now boasts four art museums and a sculpture square.

The international artist residency is an important part of the town’s mission to promote cultural exchange in a rural setting. In the summer of 2019, the town inaugurated the program by receiving two Swiss artists.