Kaiying Cai

In what ways can a painting make enduring contact? Carving out space for interiority through colour, the affective possibilities of paint application, and figures in action, Kaiying Cai is not inhibited in moving between palettes and materials. Her various works will usually have a central subject. In ‘Bubbles’ it is an embryonic figure, a complex and ambiguous form made of undulating knots. Working with oil paints on a wood panel lends a particular depth, adding to a sense of mystery which imbues other works such as ‘Touch’ and ‘Fleeting’. ‘Circle of Life’ is a particularly good example of the wonder that animates Cai’s work, in the sense of joy, but also of the artist’s willingness to foray into zones of emotional depth and bring back what’s discovered there.