Exhibition Opening - Owen Leong: Bitten Peach 分桃

The Institute for Australian and Chinese Arts and Culture (IAC) at Western Sydney University is excited to present the exhibition of the year: Bitten Peach 分桃, a solo show of a high-profile multidisciplinary visual artist Owen Leong, known for his artistic exploration of counternarratives of queer world-making. As the recipient of IAC’s The Chey Fellowship, with the support from Parramatta Artists Studios through the City of Parramatta and Create NSW, Leong has created a series of new works for this special exhibition. `

Leong’s creation is particularly inspired by a queer reading of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, 《聊齋志異》, a collection of classical Chinese stories by Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling (1640 – 1715). In this exhibition, by fusing historical materials with contemporary forms, the artist has created an exquisite body of work that “navigates the delicate interplay between past and present, desire and fantasy, self and world” and “transforms classical literature into a contemporary celebration of queer joy, power and agency” .

The exhibition will be opened on Thursday, 21 November, at 5:00pm for 5:30pm start at the Institute for Australian and Chinese Arts and Culture, Building EA Ground level, Parramatta South Campus, off Victoria Road. The IAC gallery will be open at 9:30am for exhibition viewing. The formal proceedings will start at 5:30pm and finish at 6:30pm, followed by light refreshments and drinks.