Asia Art Center is proud to present Grace Electric, the exhibition catalog accompanying Michelle Blade’s first solo exhibition in China, held at our Beijing gallery in November 2023. As the first American artist represented by Asia Art Center, Blade previously debuted in Taiwan with her solo exhibition at our Taipei space in January 2023. This publication marks an important milestone in our collaboration, offering a comprehensive record of her latest series showcased in Beijing. Featuring exhibition documentation, essays, and the interview, the catalog traces Blade’s artistic journey and explores how she continues to investigate the fluidity of light and color, as well as the intricate relationship between humanity and nature, at the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures.
More than just an exhibition record, this catalog extends the artistic dialogue between Blade and Asia Art Center, providing a deeper reflection on her creative practice. Known for her masterful use of wet-on-wet technique, Blade captures the fleeting qualities of light, allowing her compositions to shift between abstraction and representation—freezing ephemeral moments in layers of color and texture. Drawing inspiration from everyday landscapes and her personal experiences as a mother, she paints with a sense of wonder and intimacy. Whether portraying sunlit mountain ranges, moonlit lakes, or the gentle movement of plants in the wind, Blade’s work constructs a poetic, meditative space that invites viewers into an immersive visual experience.
This publication features an essay by Mariella Rudi, who delves into Blade’s distinctive approach to contemporary painting, framing her work through the concept of the “maternal sublime” and its interplay with themes of nature and time. Additionally, the book includes an insightful conversation between Michelle Blade and Hayley Barker, where the two artists discuss their creative processes, visual language, and the philosophical nuances of light and color. Through these texts and images, readers gain an intimate perspective on Blade’s artistic vision and the lyrical narratives embedded within her paintings.
