After a four year absence from the Hong Kong art-scene, Patricio Reig is back with a powerful and dazzling solo exhibition of new work. Following his critically acclaimed debut in Hong Kong in 1999, Reig’s work has been sought after by collectors and dealers alike. This exhibition marks an exciting development in Reig’s work and Amelia Johnson Contemporary is proud to present these works of exceptional talent and humanity.
Patricio Reig’s new work encompasses several series of photographs and works on canvas that continue his preoccupation with the anthropological and genealogical quest to determine what makes us who we are. Combining contemporary photographs (of which he is the author) and antique images, such as formal portraits from the turn of the twentieth century or family snapshots from the 1950’s, with a faint background of writings, he creates works of a beguiling fragility. There is a strong sense of the narrative flowing through these subtle presentations of family histories, each work possessed of hidden depths and open to endless interpretations.
One of the key components of Reig’s work is his ability to create a coherent image using apparently unassociated fragments of images, some of which are personal, some of which are simply random discoveries in flea markets and antique shops that appeal to his nature. These found objects; sheets of music, pages from old books of poetry, old newspaper cuttings, letters, postcards and even antique wallpaper feature as a backdrop for the ghostly images which float out of the plane.
His work is dark for he prefers a palette of browns, blacks, golds and silvers but, like Velasquez, his pieces are created using chiaroscuro: the ability to render images through dramatic play of light and dark. Occasionally Reig interjects a splash of stark, bold colour such as a line of brilliant red or a wash of sea green which serves to contrast the darkness of certain areas whilst highlighting often overlooked elements of the composition. So skilled an artist is Reig that one succumbs to the composition of his achingly beautiful works long before one acknowledges his extreme technical mastery.
Patricio Reig was born in Argentina in 1959. He studied architecture at the University Piloto of Colombia, graduating in 1984. During this time he undertook further studies in engraving, completing a degree course at the National University of Colombia. Achieving his final qualifications in architecture Reig moved to Barcelona where he studied a doctorate in architecture at the University Polytechnic of Catalunya. Since 1984 Reig has lived and worked in Barcelona, holding numerous solo and group exhibitions in both Barcelona and Colombia. His most recent exhibitions this year include solo exhibitions in Miami, Madrid and Hong Kong.
