The title of the exhibition “Sofa Kit”, phonetically understood as “so, fuck it”, might sound like the opening joke of a stand-up comedy show. This is not surprising, as the artist often listens to comedic monologues in his studio, and inevitably this sense of humour leaks through the painting and slowly permeates Gao Hang’s work. 

From a purely structural perspective, the parts that make up a painting – wood, canvas, staples, and paint – are the same as those that would be used in the making of a sofa. Clearly, Gao’s paintings are not a sofa and are not intended to create any sense of comfort, coziness, or restfulness – quite the opposite. Like a biting humorist, Hang establishes a conversation with the viewers in which he challenges political correctness and belief systems through absurdity. Works such as “Your cyber wife is your son” illustrate the artist’s sarcastic understanding of the virtual world and its language.

The artist wanders the internet with the same gaze with which many early 20th century avant-garde artists used to stroll, searching for objects that could become a ready-made. He understands 3D graphics as 21st century “found objects” and what fascinates him about them is their rawness, weirdness and awkwardness.

Inspired by 3D modeling and graphic rendering in computer games over the last 20 years, his work reflects on how the graphic magnificence of a particular period can quickly come to be seen as raw, naive, primitive or ridiculous as the digital image continues to evolve.

Despite being a figurative painter, he renounces any narrative reading of his paintings and describes himself as a color-field painter. When looking at works such as “Sisyphus figured it all out” or “Man Talking” it is easy to forget what one thinks one is seeing and end up immersed in a world of vibrant colour surfaces and sharp angles, two qualities that any reasonable person would avoid when choosing a sofa…

Enrique Suasi