Variable | Shen Yongji Solo Exhibition

In 2022, Shen Yongji's solo exhibition Breaking Dawn opened in Ningbo. As a periodic summary of Shen Yongji's artistic practice, Breaking Dawn showcased the multifaceted nature of his creativity—from easel paintings and outdoor public art to spatial installations, and his earliest and most renowned metal-inlay works. These different series collectively illustrated Shen Yongji's artistic world. Essentially, Breaking Dawn revealed the origins and artistic ideals behind his series of abstract acrylic-based creations beyond his signature metal-inlay works. At that moment, Breaking Dawn represented a breakthrough from a challenging personal situation, symbolizing both an overcoming of real-world difficulties and artistic transcendence. It marked the qualitative transformation resulting from accumulated variables. Over the past year, the world has once again experienced profound change. The ideal captured by Breaking Dawn has become our lived reality—but has that ideal truly been realized? The artist’s practice evolves with reality; as the world changes, so do we, embodying eternal variables.

One year…