HdM Gallery specializes in all disciplines of contemporary art – painting, sculpture, video and installation – with a particular focus on Chinese artists, whether recognized or in the early stage of their career. For Asia NOW 2024, the gallery present the work of chinese artist Zhao Yinou.

“Woodcutting is essentially a battle between the carving knife and the wood. During the creation process, the obstructed force is a form of constant destruction. It is, in fact, an internal struggle within oneself. It forces you to slow down during the process. You can clearly feel what confuses you—your hesitations, doubts, and even anger.” If Zhao Yinou’s most well-known series, The Rehabilitation Project (2004-2013), represents a detachment and observation of pain, then her subsequent series, I AND I (2014-2018) and WE (2018 2022), reflect a gradual shift from external observation to self-awareness. The images of the artist and her family increasingly emerge in her works. It is also during this period that Zhao Yinou began to use wood panels as one of her essential mediums for the first time.

Zhao Yinou uses wood carving to convey a sense of conflict and obstruction. The cutting on wood are immortalized as visible lines of dynamic force, transformed into a “debate” between her action and hesitation. This process causes a slowdown in creation while keeping the artist consistently mindful. Confusion, anger, and fear—all sentiments are captured within the carving, transforming into an inward gaze of self-realization when the wood board is displayed in front of us. Those radiating lines collectively bring us into the “destruction” on the wooden surface, forcing us to confront our inner fears. It is at this moment, everything that makes us feel uncomfortable becomes the core concept of the image.