Rimi Yang: Yin & Yang at Melanee Cooper Gallery

by Claire Lynch

The oil paintings of Rimi Yang currently on exhibition at Melanee Cooper fulfill a gap in the cultural contacts in Chicago’s art scene as of late. The show’s title, Yin & Yang provides an appropriate backdrop for the dichotomies of Rimi Yang’s world. Korean by descent, born in Osaka and working in Shanghai, Yang is aided by a diverse outlook in her art- painterly, colorful abstracts framing mirage-like portraits. Interestingly, Yang’s upbringing in Ohio and art education in California deems her perspective an alluring mix of East and West. These forces meld both in subject matter and style, for geisha portraits with stern, worried and wondering faces peek out of a series of unintelligible color clouds. Perhaps these are memories, dreams, or the experience of one person existing in two hemispheres.

Shanghai Dream is a highlight of the show due to the frantic brushwork and lost expression worn by the woman. Yang has a clear preference for depicting a singular, female form centered on the canvas, often floating in a wake of swirling opaque colors.

Ohana features some of Yang’s most energetic hues, making the background of this work particularly poignant, while the calm, pristinely executed portrait and detail of the female subject illustrate the artist’s dually traditional and progressive talent.

Rimi Yang’s past success is understood when viewing Melanee Cooper’s latest show, for the painter manages to translate personal yearning, remembrance of far-away places and telling eyes to the viewer. A must-see, Yin & Yang exposes you to the heartfelt emotions of the artist, leaving this viewer with an eerie sense of satisfaction and simulation. Perhaps it is simply your emotions being tapped into, or maybe the combination of two contrasting worlds into one lovely image.

Rimi Yang: Yin & Yang will be on display at Melanee Cooper Gallery from January 8th to February 26th. Melanee Cooper Gallery is located at 740 North Franklin.