“You may forget but let me tell you this：someone in some future time will think of us.” —You May Forget But by Sappho.
In Greek mythology, Muses are goddesses in charge of art, literature and science. They are transmogrified from the narcissus, beside the mountain spring. Their elegant and seductive appearance is always extended to the incarnation of art, expressing the free and crazy art spirits resemble muses. In the modern era, the Muse is frequently used as a metaphor for the female idols and heroines admired by artists, bringing endless inspirations of creation. However, female artists are not only the Muse in the eyes of others but also more importantly the Muse of their own. They are given the vitality and tension of the mythical Muse, and able to transcend the power structure of being admired and gazed at by others. They always tell the self-discovery as the protagonist of the story, eagerly waiting for all the occasional & non-occasional, predictable & unpredictable in life, and at the same time "tempting" the focuses from the outside.
The participating artists of “Muses’ Calling”represent six different forms of Muses, Huang Yin, Hua Xiyu, Niu An, Scotie Ad, Vianne Savoli, and Diana Zhang came from different growth backgrounds. Their paintings have significant characteristics that are peaceful, rebellious or even dream-like portraying variant regional cultural scene; On the other hand, their cross-cultural sojourn life after adulthood offers them vision and perception beyond time and space. Through the clear brushstrokes, colors, and emotional expressions that detach from the present, the inner power of women is fully told: the stereotype of women being outsiders in art history has long been challenged, and their gender identity represents no longer a subordinated power system. We hope this group exhibition could be a unique experience that re-position the “self” as a female: social documentation, environmental impression, cultural identity, life style, emotional expression, dialogic therapy, etc., altogether showing us the aura of the complex, mysterious and seductive goddess, Muse.