Enigmatic “Seclusion”

Seclusion is a meditative painting of a young woman and her two phantom images superimposed above the centrally placed figure at the lower half of the canvas. This young woman, head bent, surrounded by dense woods, was in a state of meditation, and solitary despite the two companions, who could be herself in different time frames, evoked by this woman lost in her private thoughts. These three figures, real or imaginative, resembled the traditional grouping of the Three Graces in the western visual presentation canon, therefore, created another layer of mystery to this tableau inside the dark and misty woods.

 

Seclusion
Oil on Canvas
28” x 22”
Completed in 2021 

 

Originally posted on matthewfelixsun.com 

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Oil Painting “College Town”

College Town was a snapshot of the unpretentious college city I live in, during the summertime when droves of young temporary dwellers cleared out their flats and moved on to their next destination, or back to where they came from, and left their transitory possessions at the curbs for repurposing. This still image captured the melancholic and slightly forlorn atmosphere after the adrenaline rush from graduation celebrations, when the excitement had ended and only abandoned chairs and mattresses scattered about in this way station, which dutifully quietly welcomed and sent off the young people to make their great or tiny marks to the world, year after year. 

 

College Town
Oil on Canvas
30” x 28”
Completed in 2021

 

Originally posted on matthewfelixsun.com 

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Enigma - my solo exhibition at Gallerie Valerie, Crockett, CA

Thanks to the gallerist and artist Valerie Quade, I had the opportunity to exhibit 18 oil and gouache paintings in a solo show titled “Enigma” at Gallerie Valerie in Crockett, from September 3rd through 26th in 2021.

The pieces are chiefly representational, even realistic, yet they often cloak twists or hidden meanings. Beneath their surfaces are darker truths, or riddles that invite further investigation. Paintings such as Anselm Kiefer’s Bathtubs, Arabesque, Leisurely, or The March of Time are imbued with an enigma.  The entire exhibition can also be viewed on my website  or on YouTube. Below snapshots of the installation offer a glimpse of this exhibition:

Below are some scenes from the opening reception, which took place on September 3rd.

 

A "walk-through" video below can lead you through the gallery space:

 

And finally, the compilation video incorporated the art installation and opening reception:

 

 

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Allegorical "Surveying"

My allegorical painting Surveying portrayed a nightmarish landscape consisting of fluid and unsettled patterns, suggesting disturbed soil or waves, like the aftermath of a fierce battle. A large figure dressed in a similarly patterned white garb, floated above this mystic landscape, surveying the ravage brought upon by whatever malicious agents. The figure’s outstretched arms, along with the melting drips from the white dress, suggested immense sorrow and compassion. 

Surveying
Oil on Canvas
28” x 22”
Completed in 2013

 

Originally posted on matthewfelixsun.com 
 

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Crisp and Somber "Drifting"

Drifting is a self-portrait that captures myself sitting on the bow of a small rowboat, which gently rocked in a bay, with a small vegetated island lurking in the back. The tip of the bow, the outstretched or bent angular legs and arms, and above all, and the figure sitting on top of the boat, jointly or separately formed several intricately nested and well-balanced triangles. Yet, the usual stability associated with such triangular composition was negated somewhat by the tilting boat; one could feel the swaying of the small boat, and the longer one stares at this painting, the more likely one feels the onset of seasickness. My younger self, eyes cast down, lost in thoughts, doubtful and a bit rueful, manifested the angst of youth, of an era, of a nation. The frostiness of this painting, awash with crisp light and dominated by a distancing pale blue shade, was punctuated only by the wine-red swimming trunk, which provided a small gesture of warmth in the otherwise thorough coolness. 

Drifting
30” x 40”
Oil on Canvas
Completed in 2001 

 

Originally posted on matthewfelixsun.com 
 

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Disquieting Code - Oil Painting "Postscript"

2020 was such a distressing year that we all hoped to close the page in earnest. Yet, when almost halfway into 2021, we are still fighting to escape from the dark shadow 2020 cast, constantly adjusting or expanding our traumatic memories, by generating sobering Postscript, which was the title of my new self-portrait, recording such an emotional journey of mine in that eventual year and beyond.

Postscript
28” x 22”
Oil on Canvas
Completed in 2021

 

Postscript was published by Artistonish, Issue 8, March 2021

 

Originally posted on matthewfelixsun.com 
 

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Featured Oil Painting - Crisp

Though lately I am mostly attracted to shifting patterns, colors, tones, and shapes, from time to time, I am still inspired by pure scenery, particularly when I can discern such variations, and especially if the landscape evokes strong emotions such as moody melancholy. Such an image I had encountered in Manchurian China, barely a few months before the pandemic started to ravage the globe, intrigued and challenged me to create an oil painting when sheltered at home, Crisp, an understated work aptly captured a sense of community, isolation, and resilience.


Crisp
22” x 28”
Oil on Canvas
Completed in 2020

This painting is being exhibited in Biafarin Online Exhibition (March 10 – April 10, 2021): Exhibizone – Winter 2021 Catalog.

Originally posted on matthewfelixsun.com 
 

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Featured Painting "Waifs"

Waifs depicted an almost surreal landscape, tranquil and dark, as if under the spell of a mysterious and shushing moonlight. Amongst tall trunks, a group of figures shrouded in white, ostensibly young women, trod, plodded, or frolicked on the richly vegetated ground, ever deeper into the woods. 

Despite their being in a group, there was an overwhelming sense of isolation and loneliness, and their internalized presence was touching to behold. Their billowing dresses were as mysterious as these figures themselves - were these innocent young girls or runaway women? Were they spirits, witches, or visiting phantoms from beyond the reach, and acted in tandem? 

Waifs
24” x 30”
Oil on Canvas
Completed in 2020

This painting is being exhibited in Biafarin Online Exhibition: Exhibizone – Winter 2021 (March 10 – April 10, 2021)

Originally posted on matthewfelixsun.com 
 
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