Beginning September 26, Waterhouse Gallery in Santa Barbara, California, presents the exhibition Three Young Masters featuring the artwork of Derek Harrison, Kyle Ma and Hsin-Yao Tseng. The artists have their own unique styles of painting, which highlights a variety of techniques and subjects, allowing for a diverse array of works to be available.
With his newest paintings, Harrison wanted to create “well-designed, introspective and calm figurative works.” To do this, he placed the figure in the landscape, particularly the Southern California coastal lands where he lives and works.
Derek Harrison, Atmospheric Moments, oil, 30 x 22"
“The hills, trees, coastlines and skies of California are awe-inspiring. The color of light during each season is unique and beautiful,” says Harrison. “Starting with on location plein air sketches, I then bring the figure into the fold. A subtle narrative is implied, but much is left to the viewer. I want my work to connect with the viewer in a way that communicates the feelings I felt at those moments. For example, the moments when mustard greens that are briefly in bloom during the spring, a warm sunlit summer afternoon and cozy moonlit nocturnes. Color harmony, the physical application of paint and design are of the utmost importance.”
Hsin-Yao Tseng, Lantern Light at Dusk, oil on panel, 18 x 12"
Ma’s paintings in the show focus on different lighting scenarios, so he showcases a variety of subjects and places. “It’s always fascinating to me how much differences in lighting can transform a scene. For example, in the piece Lincoln Park Zoo Lion, the backlighting effect is particularly important as it influences every part of that subject, not only the lion itself but also the foreground and background,” Ma explains. “It also is fascinating to me how light changes with geographic location. So I have included pieces exploring the light from many different parts of the world that I was able to create from my travels.”
Kyle Ma, Lincoln Park Zoo Lion, oil, 12 x 16"
Kyle Ma, Garrapata Surf, oil, 20 x 24"
Tseng’s newest works showcase light and color as it appears in the three different cities: San Francisco, New York and Taiwan. “In these new works, I am experiencing and focusing on the color changing in the evening and nocturne life. Analyzing the color from the subtle natural twilight to the contrast artificial light from the stores [and] cars on the street,” he says. “I am trying to capture the busy nightlife in those cities [or] a quiet moment in the corner on a dark night. By taking full advantage of the opacity of my subjects, [I am] infusing portraits, crowds, traffic and a cat with subtle hints that engender speculation in my viewers.”
The exhibition will remain on view through October 19. —
Waterhouse Gallery
1114 State Street #9 • Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 962-8885 • www.waterhousegallery.com
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