Nu Shu = Secret Script


Works of Victoria H. Chang


 
August 28 - October 30, 2009

Opening Reception: Friday, August 28, 3pm to 6pm; Artist in Attendance

Art Beatus (Vancouver) Consultancy Ltd. is pleased to present “Nu Shu = Secret Script” featuring installation and mixed media works by Victoria H. ChangNu shu was a secret ‘written’ language invented by uneducated peasant women centuries ago in southwestern China.  Chang’s work examines the visual beauty and metaphorical power of nu shu as a method of blurring the boundaries of Eastern aesthetics with contemporary Western art traditions.  The exhibition will open with an afternoon reception open to the public on Friday, August 28 from 3pm to 6pm, and the artist will be in attendance.

Taught in secret by mothers to their daughters, nu shu was used by women to express feelings of pain, abuse, suppression and suffering which spanned from marriage at the age of 17 and lasted the rest of their lives regardless of circumstance.  Because of nu shu’s secretive nature and geographic isolation at the time, it did not spread to other provinces.  Today, these scenarios of suffering still play out in many women’s lives around the world.  The artist’s objective is to share the concept of this incredible and secretive language which is on the verge of becoming extinct.

Chang draws inspiration from her experiences and thus her work is a reflection of her own identity, non-traditional and hybrid.   As an Asian and a woman, she feels a connection with the written language.  She also feels that being an Asian woman who grew up in Western culture, brings a unique perspective to her life that accentuates both the paradox and synergy between Asian and Western influences.  Chang graduated with an MFA from Pratt Institute in New York and has participated in a number of international exhibitions.  She resides in both New York and Vancouver, BC; her works can be found in several private collections. Nu Shu = Secret Script” begins Friday, August 28 and runs through to Friday, October 30, 2009.



Art Beatus, with a location in Vancouver, Canada and two locations in Hong Kong, showcases international art with a focus on contemporary Chinese art.  Art Beatus (Vancouver) is located in the Nelson Square Office Tower at 108 – 808 Nelson Street in Vancouver, BC.

Art Beatus (Vancouver) Consultancy Ltd. is open Monday to Friday, 10am-6pm and is closed on weekends and holidays.  Underground and street parking is available.  Free admission.

For more information, please contact Media Relations, Tamla Mah or Peggy Ngan by email: info@artbeatus.com or telephone: 604-688-2633. 



 
Nu Shu = Secret Script 1



Nu Shu = Secret Script 2




Nu Shu = Secret Script 5