Miya Ando, Blue Sky Codex | Sundaram Tagore Gallery               Â
by Serene Lam Â
Enchantment always lies within wandering the art district without a stringent plan — just letting your heart carry you through winding streets and tucked-away galleries, breathing in creativity in the air. Strolling in the Chelsea art district, from across the glass, we noticed gradients of blue and silver, layered with haze. Each piece felt like a moment of sky captured, each colour extending an invitation. Â
Miya Ando’s exhibition at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery is a series mapping the sky, recording time and locating her place in the world through minute observation of the varied tones of the colour blue1. Her skillful use of watercolour-like techniques to layer translucent washes of ink and pigment mixed with urethane onto aluminum brought documented skies to life. She seamlessly transformed the fleeting natural beauty into lasting works of art, capturing the ever-changing nature from pale dawns to saturated daylights in cities as diverse as New York, Tokyo, and Costa Rica. Ando's work taps into a universal feeling of how we witness the colour of the sky alter and sense a day slipping away, moments that are bittersweet but cherished.Â
In the artwork, Morning Cloud (Figure 1), the metal shines through soft veils of blue, mimicking the scenery at dawn. Whereas the triptych, Boun (Figure 2), records the pale-blue twilight fading to pink on an autumn day in Tokyo. Each of her work represents a portrayal of a specific moment in time included in its title. The delicate interplay of colours, combined with the glistening metallic undertones, brings depth and movement to the composition, immersing the viewer in the beautiful passage of time. Â
Ando creates a striking incongruity between metallic rigidity and natural fragility, with the durability of metal contrasting the transience of the sky. By leaving areas of the metal bare, she creates shimmering visuals where the material itself becomes a significant part of the artwork composition. The metallic undertones of the aluminum also give her works a luminosity that imitates hidden light trying to break free from behind clouds. As light interacts with the surface, it changes the viewer’s perception of the artwork, echoing the ever-shifting light of the sky. Walking away from Ando’s exhibition, the subtle shifting of hues and tones in the sky reminds us of the ephemera beauty around and beyond. It guides us to reflect on the intrinsic connection between the evolving nature and the passage of time.Â
Serene Lam is the Co-Chair of the Art Committee. She specializes in Digital Enterprise Management. She is knowledgable about the convergence of business, technology, and art, bringing expertise in organizational management and marketing communications.
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