News Summary

The Orange County Museum of Art has unveiled ‘Searching the Sky for Gold,’ the debut exhibition by artist Su Yu-Xin. This exhibit features innovative landscape paintings created with natural materials, including pigments from earth’s elements. Running until May 25, the immersive display invites visitors to engage with the art in unique ways, encouraging exploration and participation, while reflecting on themes of transformation and the origins of color, inspired by the California Gold Rush.

Santa Ana Unveils Innovative Exhibit at OCMA

The Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) premiered “Searching the Sky for Gold,” the first solo exhibition by artist Su Yu-Xin, on January 31, 2025. This innovative exhibit will remain open to the public until May 25, 2025, with free admission available for all visitors.

Su Yu-Xin, a Los Angeles-based painter originally from Taiwan, presents a captivating exploration of natural materials and landscape paintings in her work. The exhibit features her original pigments derived from materials found on the earth’s crust, including minerals, volcanic soil, natural clay, and the exoskeletons of oceanic creatures. These insights into material creation provide a unique perspective on the artistic process.

The exhibition features large, rounded wooden planks alongside dynamic paintings that depict a variety of landscapes. These include mines in Utah, majestic mountains in China, and the picturesque California coastline. Su’s artworks also evoke an intriguing blend of real and surreal feelings through the use of vibrant colors and flowing shapes. Each piece is crafted on canvas with rounded edges, which adds to the exhibit’s distinctive presentation.

To create an immersive experience, the display includes paintings hanging on the gallery walls, as well as others resting on the ground and propped up by rounded wooden legs. This arrangement is intended to mimic the layering of natural materials found in the environment. Additionally, the layout encourages interaction, inviting the audience to become not just observers but potential participants—viewers are encouraged to take on the roles of artist, miner, or excavator, exploring the textures and materials that form the artworks.

The theme of the exhibit addresses the origins of color, presenting it as both a natural property and an unrefined resource. Su Yu-Xin’s work also explores the visual effects of fog, air, and mist, which are often hidden from view. The artist describes these air phenomena as “alive, nuanced and elusive,” suggesting that painting serves as a medium to capture these elements just as pigments capture light.

The title of the exhibit, “Searching the Sky for Gold,” draws historical inspiration from the California Gold Rush of the 1800s. It further reflects on the cosmic origins of gold while articulating the intersection of time, space, and earthly materials. Through her artwork, Su encourages reflection on the relationship between the physical world and the metaphysical, inviting viewers to engage with the concept of transformation and the ever-evolving qualities of the universe.

OCMA is committed to making art accessible to everyone, with free admission to the exhibit promoting inclusivity and encouraging a broad audience to engage with this thought-provoking collection. The museum provides an opportunity for individuals to connect deeply with the transformative qualities represented through Su Yu-Xin’s art and the larger questions it raises about nature and existence.

As the exhibition unfolds, visitors can expect to immerse themselves in Su Yu-Xin’s dynamic exploration of landscape, color, and the very essence of the materials that shape our world. Opportunity abounds for memorable engagement, with the presentation designed to captivate the senses and provoke thought.

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Additional Resources

• LA Times: Visiting Su Yu-Xin’s New Exhibition
• Art Basel: Su Yu-Xin’s Materials
• Cultured Magazine: Los Angeles Art Criticism
• Google Search: Su Yu-Xin
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Art