WCSU to host ‘Chinese Mojo’ exhibition in June

DANBURY, CONN. — The Western Connecticut State University Department of Art will host the exhibition, “Chinese Mojo” by Bibiana Huang Matheis, from Tuesday, June 2, through Thursday, July 2, in the Art Gallery at the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. The exhibit will feature collage, installation art and photography.

An Opening Reception will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, at the gallery. Admission will be free and the public is invited to attend. The gallery will be open for viewing from 1 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, through July 2.

Matheis’ work was originally featured at ArtsWestchester in the group exhibition “Crossing Borders: Memory and Heritage in a New America,” which highlighted new and first-generation American artists who use their autobiographies and family history as an artistic tool to explore universal concerns of memory, heritage and identity. 

Matheis is a Chinese-American immigrant woman, artist and photographer. The work in her exhibition is an autobiographical expression that makes use of symbolism and expressionism, creating a visual tapestry and treasure box, where the story is unveiled through each of her photographs. She weaves together a family album where every object has its own tale and each picture tells its own story. Some of the objects are valuable mementos, while others are simple everyday items.  Many images feature family members and the creative tendencies in her ancestry, such as her father’s calligraphy and her grandmother’s painting. Through her artwork she confronts her own cultural heritage and the struggles faced as an immigrant. It is an artistic expression of heritage, connection with ancestors, cross-culturalism and integration.

For more information, contact Lori Robeau at (203) 837-8403.