Gagosian is pleased to present an exhibition of ten new paintings by Jonas Wood, together with two sets of related drawings in Hong Kong this fall. This is Wood’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong.The concept for the exhibition stemmed from the artist’s mid-career survey at the Dallas Museum of Art in 2019 when he reencountered Polka Dot Orchid (2015), a painting he had made of a single plant against a black background. The work was hung alongside other paintings of isolated plants in a room wallpapered with repeating tennis balls. Following that exhibition, and over the course of the lockdown period of 2020, Wood continued to consider the idea of making works on black grounds and the opportunity of hanging them together.The new paintings continue Wood’s exploration into motifs of fruits, flowers, and houseplants. Depicting brilliantly hued orchids and succulents, full bunches of bananas, and a robust monstera plant, he uses plants as a vehicle to experiment with color and geometry, isolating the forms on monochromatic backgrounds to explore color theory, pattern, and line.
Wood planned the installation from his studio in Los Angeles knowing that he would not be able to visit Hong Kong in person due to travel restrictions. The architectural model, which appears in the catalogue, became essential to this process. As part of his conceptual vision, a room of the exhibition will be installed with floral wallpaper designed by the artist as part of his ongoing interest in pattern and in the repurposing and recontextualizing of his own imagery.Wood develops his hybrid compositions from multiple sources, including photographs appropriated from magazines and representations of his own plant specimens. Some works also incorporate additional natural and artificial elements; Small Yellow Orchid with Baby Snake (2020) features a coiled serpent nestled in its basal leaves, while basketballs—a recurring motif for the artist, an avid sports fan—meld with orchid petals in Bball Orchid with Dots #2 (2021).Plants have remained a key subject for Wood throughout his career, beginning with his arrival in Los Angeles in 2003. Originally from the East Coast, he was astounded by the variety of flora he found in Southern California, and the tropical plants featured in his paintings reflect not only the houseplants that populate his home and studio, but also the region’s climate and cultural identity. The lush growth that inspired these works is thus linked to his immediate environs, and to the semi-autobiographical impetus of his practice. Like his predecessors Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and David Hockney, Wood also uses still-life painting as an opportunity to explore abstract forms while extending the modernist impulse to merge art and life.The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue and a new poster featuring Yellow Flower with Lines 2 (2021).

    高古軒欣然呈獻喬納斯‧伍德 (Jonas Wood) 在香港的首場個人作品展，展覽於今年秋季舉行，並帶來10幅油畫新作及兩組相關的紙上作品。展覽的概念源於達拉斯藝術博物館於2019年為伍德舉行的藝術生涯中期作品回顧展，他於展覽上再次看到《帶圓點的蘭花》(Polka Dot Orchid，2015年作)，畫作在黑色背景上繪畫了一株植物。作品與其他單株植物畫掛在同一個展廳內，展廳的牆壁則舖上滿佈網球圖案的牆紙。在該次展覽後，伍德於2020年封城期間繼續思考以黑色背景創作的概念，計劃將同類作品一同展出。全新的畫作延續伍德對水果、花朵和盆栽等主題的探索，刻畫色彩鮮明的蘭花和多肉植物、一大串香蕉和一棵茂盛的龜背竹。藝術家將植物變成進行色彩和幾何學實驗的載體，以單色背景突顯形態，以便進行色彩理論、圖案和線條的研究。鑑於旅遊受限，伍德明白自己將無法親身出席香港的展覽，因此於洛杉磯的工作室內提早規劃展覽的佈局，而在展覽目錄中介紹的建築模型則成為規劃過程的重要元素。根據他的創意概念，其中一個展廳將會舖上伍德設計的花卉圖案牆紙，以體現他對圖案的興趣，同時也致力改變其獨有圖像的用途和背景。伍德採用不同來源創作混合畫作，包括借用雜誌的照片，以及其植物樣本的畫作，部分作品亦加入額外的自然和人工元素，例如《小黃色蘭花與幼蛇》(Small Yellow Orchid with Baby Snake，2020年作) 畫作中蟄伏在底層葉子上的蛇，而在《帶點的籃球蘭花#2》(Bball Orchid with Dots #2，2021年作) 中，熱愛運動的伍德則將籃球與蘭花結合。從伍德於2003年到達洛杉磯開始，植物便成為其藝術創作的重要題材。來自美國東岸的他對南加州種類繁多的植物品種感到驚奇，其畫作中描繪的熱帶植物不僅代表家中與工作室種植的盆栽，也象徵當地的氣候和文化。因此，啟發這些作品的茂盛植物，與他身處的環境及其創作的半自傳式手法關係密切。一如保羅‧塞尚 (Paul Cézanne)、亨利‧馬蒂斯 (Henri Matisse) 和大衛‧霍克尼 (David Hockney) 等藝術家，伍德也藉著靜物畫探究抽象形態，同時運用現代藝術的力量結合藝術與生活。此展覽同時亦推出附有精美插圖的展覽圖錄及以作品《有線條的黃色花2》(2021年作) 為題的海報。