Asia
Firenze Lai
Argument
2013
Argument, 2013
Firenze Lai’s Alignment (Arms), Argument and Central Station is a “situation portrait” that presents whimsical characters within distorted and troubling worlds. These portraits explore the relationship between the psyche and contemporary social environments, focusing on isolation, identity, and distress. The two characters in Sumo interact in an ambiguous gesture of conflict or embrace as the world around them pulsates in agitated waves. In each of the portraits, Lai explores how individuals adapt to their environments and the ways in which bodies communicate emotions for which there are no adequate words.
Firenze Lai is a Hong Kong painter known for her atmospheric portraits that explore the ways in which contemporary life causes people to adjust to their surrounding conditions in disturbing ways. She paints by immersing herself in the state of mind and situation of each character. Her work was exhibited at the New Museums 2015 Triennial and the Shanghai Biennale (2014).