BIG. SMALL Group Exhibition @ THE COLLABORATION

Super stoked that I got invited to exhibit @thecollaborationnz in New Plymouth this summer!! This summer group exhibition is called BIG.SMALL which opens Thursday night 30th Nov.
All welcome 🥂🥂🥂!

Big Small is an annual end of the year show where 10 artist exhibits one large artwork alongside one small artwork. It coincides with an epic pop up that celebrates 66 local business. It is always a fun way to finish the year of collaboration!! I can’t wait to see the talented team @thecollaborationnz led by the amazing artist and manager @artiststomarket do to the space! Four of my SPARK JOY collection are available through The Collaboration currently!! The show runs from 28 Nov - 7 Jan. Don’t miss it my friends!

‘FINDING THE HEARTBEAT’ has been selected as a finalist in the Emerging Artist Awards 2023 and won the John Wells Award. The exhibition is running from 14th Oct to 5th Nov, daily 10 am - 4 pm at the Upstairs Gallery in Titirangi. This unique art competition and exhibition was created to generate awareness for the mental health in Aotearoa and to highlight the benefit of art and creativity on the wellbeing of individuals and community. The theme of this year is “Connection”. Connection is non-negotiable for our well-being and each art in this exhibition explores this theme.

My entry ‘FINDING THE HEARTBEAT’ is rich with connection layers. Please read my artist statement for the complete message -

*Finding the Heartbeat* draws inspiration from my recent trip to my mother's hometown Akita Japan where my family and I took an out-of-the-world pilgrimage to the historical healing site Tamagawa Hot Spring. This is the first family trip we took after losing our brother in 2018 and a long Covid separation. After returning to New Zealand, the sight and sound of the outflowing fountainhead, the luminous volcanic vapour and the volcanic sulphur steam still pulsate in my veins. I know deeply that a rebirth has happened to us and I was eager to process the layers of emotions through abstract painting.

There were so many layers of “connections” I discovered during this visit: deeper connection with my family, with our cultural roots, with nature, and with our own selves. We bathed in the uniquely acidy hot spring water, cooked eggs and purple potatoes on sulphur steam, picnicked on the warm heating radium rocks, awed by the natural phenomenon Sun Halo, listened to the stories of healing from illness including my cousin’s wife, learned about the therapeutic native plants in the deep mountains. We were blessed with a sense of wonder and belonging that spark off our heart beat again after a long season of healing! When we find our heartbeat, we are finding the rhythm in which our life can thrive!

*Finding the Heartbeat* leaned into my practice in the Soak-Stain method pioneered by Helen Frankenthaler, applying layers of fluid paint unto raw canvas, and experimenting with abstract symbols to capture the essence of my Tamagawa journey: the exhilarating encounters with the passion and life of nature, the belonging and togetherness we have found in each other’s presence and acceptance, and the courage and inspiration we can draw from the struggles and triumphs of others.

UNFURLING is a collection of my new abstract acrylic paintings created in 2023. It draws inspiration from the nightly walks I took with my parents as a little five year old. During the summer evenings, we would take a stroll from our house to the university campus where my dad was teaching. We would walk by the alleyway franked by hibiscus shrubs, stopped by a pond beaming with tropical vegetation, dragonflies and frogs, picked up my favourite jelly snack from the corner store and then meandered into the campus. In the twilight hours, the night jasmine unfold their blooms and filled the air with delightful aroma. Then one by one the fireflies flew out of the shrubs and and trees and lit up the night with their cheerful lanterns. I would be chasing after the bugs, trying to capture them with a glass jar, or just letting the sweet cool jelly slipped down my throat.

Leaning into my imagination of vaporous memories I desire to capture a sense of belonging and magic through my exploration of abstract language, watery marks, transparent layers and fluid pouring. In the process I blend the Soak-Stain method pioneered by the 20th-century abstract artist Helen Frankenthaler and the Asian Ink Water tradition to create the unique layering, depth and luminosity of the imageries.

Yes I have another exhibition going on!! OPEN SANCTUARY!!!

Open Sanctuary is a collection of intuitive abstract works I created in 2022. Inspired by my art residency at Gulf Harbour where I get to enjoy frequent visits to Shakespear Park, a haven for native wildlife amidst sheltered bays, wetlands, regenerating native forest, cliffs, historic places and a lookout with views second to none. The concept of “Open Sanctuary” became alive to me. I became fascinated with this idea and saw not just the wildlife needs an open sanctuary but also our human souls. 

Under the vast horizon of the open sanctuary I feel expansive and enlarged, free and empowered. As if returning to the 7 year old kid I can run, frolic and explore as I am. In my dabbling into psychology, I understand how we humans have contradictory needs for both safety and adventure, control and surprise. And as a creative, we constantly live between the tension of the pendulum, both needed to keep our creative soul alive and fresh. I start to see how “Open Sanctuary” could be the perfect metaphor for a creative haven where adventures abound in a safe flourishing ecosystem. 

My technical approach is an utter surrender to the intuitive process. Without much thinking nor planning, I followed the 7 year old in me, simply allowing a wide range of paints and ink to have a party on the canvases. I abandoned traditional brushes and instead employed rollers, silicon wedges, foam brushes, trowels, and fingers. I followed my need for certain colour palettes and enjoyed the very tactile experience of creating a diverse textures of the paints on canvas. 

I realised mostly in retrospect what I was trying to capture on the canvases - something 

Like a new leaf unfurled in the spring breeze

Like the smile of a baby dreaming away in strong arms

Like the shellfish exposed its vulnerable flesh soft and tender 

Like the newborn skin pink and young and transparent

In an Open Sanctuary our hearts can start to open up

Feeling trusting, accepted, embraced again

The safety allows us to explore the unknown and chase the wild

There is a deep knowing that after our adventures we have a resting place to return to. 

2022 Term 4 turns out to be a busy time. Various shows and events for you if you are keen to see my arts in different parts of Auckland and Tauranga!!!

• 10th Oct - 6th Nov Upstairs Gallery - 2022 Emerging Artist Award - The Joy in Art.

Award Ceremony 14th October Friday 6-7:30 pm

My new mixed media work Coral Bloom has been selected as a finalist! Super exciting!

For more info please visit The Upstair Gallery Website.

• 29th Oct - 4th Dec 2022 Art Salon - Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Auckland

  I will have three large oil paintings exhibited here.

• 1st - 26th Nov Kumeu Arts Centre - 2022 Kumeu Arts Award Exhibition.

Award Ceremony - 29th October Saturday 5-7 pm

My Soul Party in the Deep and Chrysalis Dreams have been selected as finalists this year. For more info please visit Kumeu Arts Centre.

• 1st - 15th Open Sanctuary Solo Show Mairiangi Arts Centre Artspace. For visiting info please visit MAC.

• 17th - 20th Nov Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival. I will be doing live art demo at the Hub Bloom in the Bay and have my artworks and calendars for sale.

• 18th Nov - 3rd Dec Stage Play 3 Women, Dolphin Theatre. My abstract painting Love Does will be on stage as part of the set dressing for a stage play. More info to follow,

Newmarket is widely known as Auckland’s premier shopping, entertainment and hospitality precinct but are you aware of fine art galleries and outdoor art nestled amongst the boutique-lined streets? Celebrate our diverse and vibrant arts community with ‘The Art of Newmarket’ – a two week long celebration of creativity here in Newmarket. There will be art cycle tours, gallery events, drawing classes, walking tours and more. I’m exceptionally excited to have my solo exhibition “Spread Your Wings” held at the Newmarket Station Studio 2 and be part of the Walking Art Tour organised by Street Artearoa on 27/28 Aug and 03/04 Sep!

“Spread Your Wings” exhibition has three parts: my new Expressive Female Portraits, Felicity Floral Collection and Mixed Media Collage Collection. It is an ode to our undefeatable spirit and a call to us collectively to break out of the cocoons, stretch our wings, and fly in our genius zone.

Through unique layering and blending with mixed media, oil and acrylic, my female portraits are vibrant, evocative and each tells a story with a message to expand the viewers’ imagination and ignite their own magic within. My process involves combining the digital during the design phase and the analogue during the painting stage, and merging the realism and the abstract. I especially love layering the abstract background intuitively and playfully on canvas, and then render the figures in oil with all its lush and rich vibrancy and texture.

The Felicity Floral Collection is composed of twelve exquisite small floral works that celebrate the abundance of heart. My love for painting flowers comes from my early childhood memory of watching my mom working in our garden when the dew was wet and the sun was cheerful. I would be playing around messing with soil, counting flower petals or reciting poetry. When I painted these floral pieces I felt exuberant joy and contentment just as a little girl exploring in a safe haven. I hope each painting helps to fill your cup too. When our hearts are filled with goodness, we can share our abundance with those around us and in the world.

The exhibition is especially a tribute to women. I believe that when we lift up one woman, we lift up a family and hence an entire community. That is the driving force and message behind my art and *Spread Your Wings* art exhibition. So come along, join the art tour or simply visit the studio. I will also have live art demo Wed - Sun 10 am - 4:30 pm.

To enjoy the works online, read about my creative thoughts behind the works and to make purchases, you can visit the Spread Your Wings Exhibition Page.

To find out more about The Art of Newmarket, please visit Newmarket Business Association Blog.

To book your free tickets for the ART WALK TOUR, please visit Street Artearoa.

Special thanks to

Newmarket Business Association - Arts & Heritage

Johnny Hui

Robert Hsieh

Tomoko Saitoh

Super stoked that I’m chosen to be part of this fun group exhibition where 9 artists are showing works that were created in a series and carry the same theme and medium. My mixed media collage small works Spread the Wings full of experimental spirit and colourful vibes will be exhibited from 30th March to 23rd April.

“Spread Your Wings” abstract collage collection consists of 21 small works ranging from 100 x 100 mm to 250 x 250 mm, with one 400 x 400 mm centrepiece. They were created out of repurposed colour palettes. The idea came when I found how beautiful my used colour palettes are - the colours are vibrant and the brush marks are raw and potent, full of unexpected shades, textures and happy accidents. Out of sheer delight I cut them into small shapes and rearranged them onto different surfaces including paper, board, and canvas. Some then were varnished to have a resin-like surface. Some were left matty. The process was highly therapeutic during our most recent Auckland lockdown. I named each piece according to their feel and personality. They are so cheerful I feel they are ready to spread their wings. Now I employs this playful experimentation to ease into my creative flow, to study colours and explore composition, a great vehicle to enrich my painting practice.

I will also be teaching An Abstract Mixed Media Collage Workshop on Sat 23rd April (10 am -12 pm) during this exhibition. Come and play with paper, fabric, mark making, shapes, and create multiple mini works.

The process is relaxing, freeing and stimulating, and can help learn about composition and design in a very fun way.

Places are limited and please enrol at Kumeu Arts Workshop.

Hi friends, Magnolia Dreamtime and Honey Dew at Dawn will be exhibited at the Winners Exhibition Kumeu Arts Awards 2021! Magnolia Dreamtime was voted to win People’s Choice Award and again Honey Dew at Dawn was chosen by my online fans to exhibit alongside. Please come to see this exciting show!

Kumeu Arts is thrilled to announce an exciting group exhibition this March by nine acclaimed artists. All of those involved won awards at the Kumeu Arts Awards last year. Due to Covid the 2021 Awards were held online and the winning artworks displayed in a virtual gallery. Now visitors will be able to see them ‘in the flesh’ in our galleries hanging alongside other new works.
Artists:
Oliver Cain
Tracey Coakley
Arwen Flowers
Natalie Gelder
Rahul Tailor
Katie Russell
Cindy Scott Natalia Scott
Coral Noel Yang

Exhibition Opening event: Friday 4th March. 5-7pm (vaccine passes required to attend).

Event Cancellation Notice - Following NZ's move to the red traffic light level, Auckland Council and Open Studio Waitākere has made the decision to cancel the event that was scheduled for the 12-13 February. We have made the decision to put the safety of our community first. We always strive to deliver a safe and fun event, and feel that at this time it would be unwise to deliver the event when we cannot guarantee the safety of our attendees and the artists. In the meantime, please stay safe and check in on your loved ones.

I’m super excited that this year I will be one of the New Artists joining Open Studio Waitakere. You will have a rare opportunity to visit my studio situated inside a fern forest, watch me work, view my figurative and abstract paintings and purchase my artworks. I look forward to getting connected with you and chatting about art and creative journey.

Open Studios Waitākere is an annual weekend opportunity for artists resident in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area to open their studios to the public. With over 80 artists involved, and 40 studios from Piha to Glen Eden, Titirangi to Te Henga, it's an inspiring weekend out and about! 

The weekend provides the opportunity to meet local artists, see art in action, purchase local artwork and learn about the creative process. Visit some of Waitākere's most celebrated artists including sculptors, painters, jewellers, illustrators, ceramic artists and photographers.  Many of the artists will have works for sale, so we recommend having some cash ready!

You can take a self-guided tour at your own pace with our Open Studios Map and mobile App, or jump on an Open Studios Bus Tour.  Enjoy a short break from your Open Studios touring to attend one of the workshops or exhibitions.

HARTFORD
28 - 31 JAN 2022
MUSIC, ART & COMMUNITY

RED TRAFFIC LIGHT CANCELS FESTIVAL ONE

“It's official - Festival One is moving to a new location. We'll be greeting you at the beautiful Karapiro landscape called, Hartford. Like the rhythm of a pulsing heart, these three things beat in the core of who we are. Music, Art & Community. Three practices in which we explore and find meaning. Music, Art  & Community. Three forms of expression tying us into what it means to be human.

https://www.festival.one/”

I will be exhibiting my abstract paintings along with other artists, sharing our art journey and teach art workshop. This year’s theme is “Joyous Celebration”. It’s going to be four days of full blast creativity, family, community, love, deep connection with heart and soul! Looking forward to seeing you there!

When Whisky meets Art -

During the second Auckland lockdown in 2021 I had a unique experience creating a large abstract painting for the NZ Whisky Club for a Whisky label - Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique. This whisky was awarded the 2015 World Whisky Awards and considered World 's best Single Malt Whisky. 

The collaboration project was meaningful to me because as we were entrenched in the second Covid year, unable to visit family and friends in home countries, we all feel homesick and miss the freedom to travel.

The NZ Whisky Club had this idea to bottle their own casket of whisky and create a commemorative label for the club to uplift the spirit of the members. By sharing this special edition of Kavalan they connect friends and relieve homesickness.

As most of the members of the NZ Whisky Club are from Taiwan, Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique produced by the King Car distillers in Taiwan became the obvious choice for this special occasion.

The NZ Whisky Club approached me to create this label and they chose a most wonderful theme “Boundless Oceans & Vast Skies,” wishing we will be free of Covid and be able to travel and visit our homeland soon.

Upon receiving this assignment, I just fell in love with the idea. My imagination kicked into gear. I’m seeing sunlight bursting, dolphins leaping, water splashing, schools of fish swimming with the currents. Of course these images were abstracted into shapes, lines, dots and circles in bold brush strokes and vibrant colours. I want to express the emotions of joy, energy, excitement and exuberance, a state of carefree and happiness that we all long for.

To see the original painting, please click the link.

Previously I had zero knowledge about Whisky, but living in the wine country New Zealand, it is natural to develop an appreciation for the wine culture. According to the experts, to mature their Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique expression, the King Car distillers in Taiwan use casks which have held both red and white wines, before being re-toasted. The whisky is fully matured in these casks to help their Taiwanese single malt develop a bold, expressive flavour profile brimming with berry, plum and caramelised sugar notes. At the Los Angeles Wine & Spirits Competition this exciting Taiwanese whisky received a Gold Medal and an impressive score of 91 out of 100. 

I love how art can be enjoyed in our everyday life through collaboration with different products. I look forward to more projects like this!

After three and half months strict Covid lockdown in Auckland, it is a surprise to me that HEART BLOOM Pop Up Art Show is a go! Although due to the 30 min per visit rule, the show needs to be kept fairly low key, I’m excited to show my recent paintings done in mixed media with oil, acrylic and ink. The thread of the show is the exuberant wild blooms captured in each painting. What’s unique about the the collection is my unplanned process, fast-action and uninhibited joy.

My method creating these paintings involves first layers of acrylic and ink where I let go of control and invited spontaneous happening and exhilarating surprises on the canvas. Then I built the images with acrylic based on what the painting has revealed to me or called for. Sometimes there’s a long breaks of days between the layers when I saw what I could do with the paintings. The final rendering is done in oil to create a softer and harmonious glow. The ultimate intention is to capture the emotional impact I feel from the beauty of the wild nature in Aotearoa.

Heya, my two paintings Magnolia Dreamtime and The Peach Blossom Land are selected as the finalists at the annual Kumeu Art Awards Show!

This year the show and award went online due to Covid lockdown in Auckland. Check out how the digital portal is done with pleasing aesthetics and easy flow functionality at this virtual tour video. You can take a tour of the gallery and view the arts. You can read about the details of the paintings and purchase them through the portal.

https://www.kumeuartscentre.co.nz/kumeu-art-awards.html

CANCELLED DUE TO COVID LOCKDOWN. But it will be transformed into LATE NIGHT ART EVENT 17 March 2022. Stay in tuned to find out more!

Artweek Auckland is an annual, week-long festival celebrating the visual arts of Auckland.

Throughout the week activations will be taking place all over Auckland, newcomers and experts alike can immerse themselves in Auckland's diverse and vibrant contemporary art scene. Venues include galleries, public, private spaces, pop ups and street art.

My 2021 new expressive abstract works will be exhibited in a group show at this amazing landmark building 246 Queen at CBD Auckland during the ARTWEEK 2021. More details to come later. You are all invited to visit and enjoy!

Artweek Auckland is owned and presented by the VA Auckland Charitable Trust, with the objective of creating opportunities for artists, promoting the visual arts industry, and facilitating greater public access to and engagement with the visual arts community. ARTWEEK website: https://artweekauckland.co.nz/

Hey friends, do you want to paint boldly and freely so art becomes a venue for you to express who you are and what you feel? Do you have strong urge to paint but sometimes feels distracted or blocked and hard to get into the creative flow? I have a good news for you! *100 Paintings in A Day* art show is coming to Kumeu Art Centre along with a workshop to teach you how to utilise this fun exhilarating art challenge to level up creative freedom and skills in your painting practice.

In the beginning of 2021, my sharing of my impromptu art challenge on social media generated a tremendous interest among artists, art lovers and even the general public. Since then I did another 100 Paintings A Day art challenge to fill my creative fun bank. Each time I felt such excitement, creative energy, and a new integration of painting skills. Now I’m honoured to bring the concept and the journey to you in collaboration with Kumeu Arts Centre through an art show and a workshop. Read here for more about my practice of 100 Paintings in A Day to explore the origin, the idea, the tools, the experience and the lessons of this amazing art challenge! I look forward to seeing you at the art show and the workshop!

LIFE DEMONSTRATION: Saturday 25th September 2-5pm

Limited seats available. Please RSVP @coralnoelyang@gmail.com. Looking forward to seeing you.

Two of my realism floral paintings “The Luminous Presence” and “Apricot Glow” are chosen to be part of the Waitakere Arts Collective show at the lovely West Coast Gallery. If you are visiting the stunning Piha beach, do drop by and take a look of the beautiful arts by local artists!!

Come to the opening at 11 am - 1 pm 10th July and join us for a glass and meet the artists!

https://www.westcoastgallery.co.nz/

AUTUMN RUSH - Members' Exhibition at the Ogle Gallery of Lake House Arts Centre

Thank you Hannah at Lake House for curating this members’ group show. I got to meet new talented artists and present Dance to the Heartbeat (mixed media with oil & acrylic) - to the world.

Hi Friends,

I’m having my first cafe art show! And I want to invite you to come! It is held at Little & Local - the Coffee Kitchen and the Bar & Bistro. It runs from 17 March to 17 May. The theme is FOLLOW THE BLISS. The Coffee Kitchen will feature my floral paintings in Oil and Acrylic along as a few selected art prints. The Bar & Bistro features three of my abstract expressionism works.

So why the theme FOLLOW THE BLISS? Truly it is the best expression that captures how I’ve found my path as an artist pivoting from being a TV/Film Producer/Director to become a painter in 2020, coincidentally during the Covid lockdown. The joy of painting, creating on a canvas not only has captivated my heart, brought me such joy, rejuvenation, excitement in life, it also healed me of many years of stress, anxiety and grief. I simply have to follow the bliss and let the new adventure take me where it wants me to be!

Choosing to have my first show at Little & Local in Snells Beach is not an accident. I actually spent my first 4 years in New Zealand working in an animation studio in Snells Beach. Little & Local was the cafe I used to hang out with my colleagues, who were just a bunch of super creative, fun-loving, and kind-hearted beautiful people. I will never forget the creative cross-pollination happening at the studio that inspire to explore my own creativity deeper. I also want to give tribute to the beautiful sceneries in the Snells Beach area including Warkworth, Matakana, Omaha, Tawharanui etc… The landscape and the floral life, the river and the beaches, the markets and villages, the vineyards and boutiques stores — Their divine beauty encapsulated in colours, lights, shades, patterns throughout the seasons draw me to bring up my brushes to respond on the canvas! I’m forever grateful for the lovey time I had in the Snell Beach area.

So please come to see the show and get splashed by the colours and maybe you can see a bit of the sunlight that touched my heart or the fragrance that allured my soul. You may also grab a coffee or relax at the bistro to support this big-hearted local business! Don’t forget you need to pop into both places to see the whole show. They are just next to each other.

Here’s some useful information:

Cafe hours: 8am - 3pm daily

Bistro hours: Mon/Tue 8am - 5pm, Wed/Thu/Sun 8am - 9pm, Fri/Sat 8am - 10pm

Address: 280 Mahurangi east road, Snells Beach

*Special thanks to my good friends/sponsors Robert Hsieh and Star Sung. My artists Mom and Sister in Taiwan, mentor Sara Thurman in the US, creative team Vicki Millar, Hazel Yildiz, Olivia Morris, Joanne Cheng in Auckland and all of you all over the continents who have encouraged, supported, or collected my works in my journey! Can’t do it without you. 😘😘😘