The Gallery at UTA will present Solace in Painting: Reflecting on a Tumultuous Century, showcasing the work of three little-known Asian diasporic painters—Chao Sao-an (1905-98), Keisho Okayama (1934-2018) and Ann Phong (1957- ). These artists have in common their unusual and oblique approaches to depicting shared experiences of major conflicts in Asia.
Curated by Fletcher Coleman, assistant professor of art history and museum studies, Solace in Painting explores how the art of conflicted artists within the Asian diaspora is characterized and understood, despite not being overtly "conflict art." The theme emerged from discussions Dr. Coleman had with his students about why certain artists had been left out of art markets and discourse.
"I thought about this a lot with my students, and that's how the theme for this show was born," Coleman said. "We saw how certain artists are left out of the discourse of diasporic art, even though these artists lived through the same 20th-century conflicts and traumas that other artists who've received attention also experienced. This show will introduce these three artists' biographies, but through the subtle, sensitive, creative and unusual ways in which their biographies are related to their work."
Solace in Painting will run at UTA Feb. 3 – March 29, accompanied by a series of scholarly talks and panels. The exhibition will then travel to the UNO Gallery at the University of Nebraska in late September—marking the first time an exhibit organized by UTA has traveled out of state.
In support of his research for Solace in Painting, Coleman was a fall 2024 fellow in the internationally recognized Tyson Scholars Program at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. Additionally, Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd. produced a scholarly catalogue for the exhibit, making it the first time The Gallery at UTA has published a press catalogue for an exhibition. The catalogue will also feature the first scholarly research ever produced on some of the featured artists.
Leading up to the exhibition's opening, Coleman taught three art history courses on Asian diasporic art, as well as art collecting and exhibition practices, aligning with the exhibition. Solace in Painting also offers Coleman an opportunity to involve his students beyond in-depth discussions and reflection. Students in the museum studies minor will assist with the installation, including unpacking and condition reporting for the artwork, as well as designing the exhibition layout.
"I think one of the unique aspects of this exhibit is how much UTA has been able to accomplish, not only for the artists, but also for our community," Coleman said. "Through this project, we're able to build a track record and show that we are thinking large here at UTA."
The opening celebration for Solace in Painting will be held Friday, Feb. 7 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in The Gallery at UTA, with introductory comments by Coleman, Phong and Yukio Lippit of Harvard University.
To learn more about the exhibition, additional events and the featured artists, visit solaceinpainting.com
