Hong Kong-based artist Trevor Yeung takes centre stage at Gasworks, offering a meticulously curated exhibition that navigates the intricate dynamics of social structures and interspecies relationships within London’s leading gay cruising area. Yeung’s installations, crafted with precision, delve into systems of control and power, using plants as metaphors to contemplate intimate and personal experiences.
At the heart of the exhibition is a meticulous recreation, in soap, of Hampstead Heath’s infamous “fuck tree” – an ageing oak with a contorted trunk, worn smooth by nocturnal activities. The soapy rendition fills the gallery with sensory exploration, emitting an earthy, moist aroma that encapsulates a liminal space resonating with desire, longing, and shame.
Yeung’s work seamlessly intertwines plant life, animal elements, and the observer, inviting contemplation on how emotional and behavioural conditions in our everyday lives are shaped. The scent and light in his sculptural endeavours transform the gallery into a fluid realm, blurring the lines between night and day, public and private, hiddenness and visibility.
Commissioned and produced by Gasworks, London, in collaboration with Para Site, Hong Kong, Aranya Art Center, Qinhuangdao, and generously supported by the Henry Moore Foundation and Blindspot Gallery, Yeung’s exhibition is a testament to the convergence of artistic vision and cross-cultural partnerships.
Trevor Yeung (b. 1988, Guangdong Province, China) uses botanic ecology, horticulture, aquarium system and installations as metaphors that reference the emancipation of everyday aspirations towards human relationships. Yeung draws inspiration from intimate and personal experiences, culminating in works that range from image-based works to large-scale installations. Obsessed with structures, he creates different scales of systems which allow him to exert control upon living beings, including plants, animals, as well as spectators.
Trevor Yeung (b. 1988, Guangdong Province, China) uses botanic ecology, horticulture, aquarium system and installations as metaphors that reference the emancipation of everyday aspirations towards human relationships. Yeung draws inspiration from intimate and personal experiences, culminating in works that range from image-based works to large-scale installations. Obsessed with structures, he creates different scales of systems which allow him to exert control upon living beings, including plants, animals, as well as spectators.
Trevor Yeung, a prominent figure in the art scene, has left his mark on major international events, including the Singapore Biennale and the 4th Kathmandu Triennale in 2022. Notable exhibitions include KölnSkulpture 10 in Cologne (2020), the 15th Biennale de Lyon (2019), and the 10th Shanghai Biennale (2014). In 2024, he is slated to represent Hong Kong in the 60th Venice Biennial.
Yeung’s global footprint extends to institutions like the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, Tai Kwun Contemporary in Hong Kong, and the Singapore Art Museum. His diverse body of work, characterized by its sensory engagement and nuanced exploration, captivates audiences internationally.
Trevor Yeung, Soft ground Gasworks Until 17 DEC 23 155 Vauxhall Street London SE11 5RH