March 6 – April 18, 2009
Opening reception: Friday, March 6, 6:30-8:00pm
Location: Gallery EXIT, G/F, 1 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2541 1299
Website: www.galleryexit.com

Gallery EXIT is pleased to present Towards the Sea, an exhibition of new paintings by Sarah Lai and a recording by sound artist mamoru. The sea, in all its changing shapes and form, is a recurring theme for both artists.

The work of repetitive mark making with a brush or pen is very slow and laborious, yet in her paintings, Lai skillfully captures the fleeting sensation of seeing a wave emerge and disappear. She often limits her palette to two colors in order to bring out rippling variations of light and shade. The image comes together with a sense of calming assurance while it draws the eye towards the distant horizon.

Sound artist mamoru recorded a live performance on September 15, 2007 at the NYK warehouse on the coast of Yokohama, Japan. Throughout the performance, the sound of foghorns and waves crashing against the pier could be heard in the distance. Sound fragments are recorded, layered, and looped irregularly as they accumulated to form sonic textures that emerge and disappear, paying homage to the timeless sea.

Sarah Lai (b.1983) is a painter living and working in Hong Kong. She graduated in 2008 from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and has since shown actively in Hong Kong and the U.S.

Sound artist mamoru (b.1977) is based in Osaka. He constructs sound installations and improvisational performances at alternative venues, galleries, and museums both within Japan and abroad. He is currently at Kunstmeile Krems, Austria on an artist residency.