Yi Kai Studio

In 1995, I did a very large painting for a group show in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. This piece ”Mixture Forever” signaled a turning point in my work and it was eventually purchased for the collection of the Minnesota Museum of America Arts in 1996.

The idea behind this piece is the hope that the economic growth and developing technology will eventually bring the people of this earth together to form a planet wide village. It is the optimistic outlook where people from different cultures and countries learn from each other and reach a deep understanding of each other.

It is in this sense that I use the term “mixture” meaning a positive integration and combination of the best aspects of all cultures where none of them is perfect in itself. Only if the best aspects of each culture can be used in combination can we be ensured a positive growth and survival as a global society.

The goal of my work is to find the visual vocabulary to combine the best of the East and of the West. I strive to convey the harmony that is possible between marking and nature which is embodied in the traditional Chinese culture. I celebrate the independence of expression that comes from the American emphasis on individual liberty and freedom of choice. More than anything, I endeavor to communicate an aesthetic that enjoins the viewer to look beyond the material world and into the spiritual realm of our lives.