Ode to solitude _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

Gavin Chai’s works seem as if transported from another time and, somewhat like the artist himself, at odds with modern existence. The Malaysian-born, Auckland-based painter and ceramicist captures enigmatic scenes of contemporary life through careful composition and deft treatment of colour, light, and shadow, often gesturing towards the heightened intensity or religiosity of early European painters.

Chai’s newest exhibition Ode to solitude at Page Galleries until the 30^th of November emits a melancholic tone that speaks to his own contemplative nature, but also speaks to the richness and sovereignty of an individual’s inner world and acts as reminder to seek enlightenment in all its forms.

“I intend to open windows to the deepest point of our human soul, to depict certain struggles that aren’t so obvious as well as strive to bring about a new language of art that is in sync with our human conditions,” Chai says. “I’m often inspired by certain writers and musicians; the way they translate grim reality into profound beauty”.

In Ode to solitude, Chai presents both paintings and ceramics, an artform he has only recently begun to pursue thanks in part to setting up his new studio space in the same building as a ceramic workshop. He’s recently become enamoured with the elegant simplicity of Chinese tri-colour ceramics.

While he “certainly” hopes visitors enjoy the new collection, he says he wouldn’t mind if they detest either. “There is a certain aspect of life that strikes more pain than pleasure.”