Henry Tsang

The Contemporary Art Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by Vancouver based artist Henry Tsang. Since 1987, Tsang has worked both as an artist and a curator whose subjects have included issues of the social urban landscape, identity, sexuality, and race. Having exhibited nationally and internationally, this will be his first solo gallery exhibition in Vancouver since 1992.

*The Crowning* is an installation that divides the gallery into two distinct and theatrical spaces. Upon entering the gallery, one is confronted by elements common to children's playgrounds: swings, a park bench and rubberized playground flooring. Directly behind the swings a wall of glass separates the viewer from the other space which presents a large photographic image of the emergence of a baby's head during the birthing process. This space reverberates psychologically between the wondrous event of birth and the corresponding familial expectations and responsibilities. While the birthing room projects the dramatic emergence of new life, the playground represents a sense of abandonment associated with play. The park bench that overlooks the installation functions as a means of surveillance. The swings, however, are placed precariously close to the glass and the piece provokes questions and tensions between the idea of life-giving and caregiving and the vulnerable relationship between the two.

The Contemporary Art Gallery thanks Play-tech Distributors Inc. for their advice and assistance.


Essay: "To Be Just," Scott Toguri McFarlane

An incomplete shape of a children’s hand shovel is carved on the metal surface. The handle is fully visible, but the blade is half recognizable as if it is stuck in the sand.

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01-HenryTsang-1996.jpeg

A blue wooden bench is installed in the gallery space. The background wall is covered by the navy blue curtain, and the gallery floor is covered by the oranger rubber tiles. 

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02-HenryTsang-1996.jpeg

Three swings are installed right next to the glass wall in the gallery. On the white wall over the swings, a large photograph of the emerging baby's head during the birthing process is installed. 

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03-HenryTsang-1996.jpeg

A shape of a small carving knife is carved on the metal surface above the floor covered by the rubber tiles. The depicted knife looks skinny and half of its entire body is made up of the handle. 

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04-HenryTsang-1996.jpeg

A two-dimensional image of a manual air pump is carved on a metal surface. The image of the air pump is horizontal, with the bottom of the air pump on the left, and the top of it on the right. 

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05-HenryTsang-1996.jpeg

An installation view of three swings in the art gallery space. The black rubbered seats with silver chains are hung from the ceiling. The swings are placed right next to the large glass window.

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06-HenryTsang-1996.jpeg

The Crowning

*Yellow Peril: Reconsidered* is a national touring exhibition or contemporary Canadian film, video and photo-based artwork that reflects an Asian new world consciousness. The exhibition of twenty five artists includes Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese—Canadians. The artists featured in this exhibition are: Taki Bluesinger, Melanie Boyle, Anthony Chan, Benjamin Chou, Richard Fung, Jay Hirabayashi, Roy Xiyooka, Nobuo Kubota, L'Amitié Chinoise de Montréal, Laiwan, Daisy Lee, Helen Lee, Brenda Joy Lem, Lui Samwald, Chi Chung Mak, Nhan Nguyen, Marlin Oliveros. Midi Onodera, Chick Rice, Ruby Truly, Henry Tsang, Tamio Wakayama, Jim Wong-Chu, Jin-me Yoon and Sharyn Yuen.

The exhibition curated by Paul Wong and circulated by On Edge opens September 8, 1990 at Oboro Gallery in Montreal. In addition to the exhibition will be the release of a 72 page publication that will include commissioned essays and artists pages. This important publication will present new critical analysis in an area of artistic concern that up to now has been overlooked by the dominant culture.

The purpose of this show is to present these new and challenging works, to move them from a position of marginality and to place them in the forefront of attention. This exhibition will provide alternative, more accurate views of Asian artists. The (not so) exotic seen from the point of view of the (not so) exotic becomes familiar.

*Yellow Peril: Reconsidered* brings together for the first time in Canada a broad range of artistic, social and community concerns by Asian­ Canadian artists. Formalist, experimental and documentary art by both emerging and mature artists. More traditional media are shunned in favour of the tools of mass media and popular culture: film, video and photo-based forms. These media are often accepted as the media of truth. What is often ignored is that the truth of popular media is selective truth. Contemporary art practices and criticism more often than not is a narrow view of what is actually being created, produced and discussed. Much of the work in Yellow Peril grapples with the notion of truth. Whose voices are not being often heard? This provocative exhibition confronts assumptions.

Guest curated by Paul Wong


A closeup of a colour photo in a white frame, on a white wall. The photo shows a person standing on the steps of a grey, single-story house, with a small telephone pole just on the side of their lawn.

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A gallery with several framed works mounted on the walls. In the centre of the room, there is a table-like form with a narrow, glossy top.  It is resting on 5 sets of A-shaped wooden table legs.

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01-YellowPerilReconsidered-1991.jpeg

Black text a black shelf with 3 open books on the wall of a gallery. The text reads "(im)permanent (re)collection." On the floor, there is a black filing cabinet with lights and photo transparencies.

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A gallery with framed black and white photos mounted on one wall, and photo prints on textured paper hanging on the other. On the floor, there is a long table-like form with a narrow, glossy top. 

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03-YellowPerilReconsidered-1991.jpeg

Six photos in black frames displayed on a white wall. The photos show people in different spaces doing a variety of things - some are walking down a stretch of highway, some are selling vessels.

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3 artworks in a gallery. Two of those are groups of photos mounted on paper with small pieces of writing next to them. The other is a small, house-like wood structure holding a tall stack of paper.

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Two artworks in a gallery space. One is a small, vertical, house-shaped wood structure holding a tall stack of papers. The other is a colour photo of a person on the steps of a small grey house.

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A closeup of 4 different metal frames with black and white in them. The frames and photos both vary in size, and they show different festivities. One frame has 4 photos of a taiko drumming ceremony.

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08-YellowPerilReconsidered-1991.jpeg

Taki Bluesinger, Melanie Boyle, Anthony Chan, Benjamin Chou, Richard Fung, Jay Hirabayashi, Roy Kiyooka, Nobuo Kubota, L’Amitie Chinoise de Montreal, Laiwan, Daisy Lee, Helen Lee, Brenda Joy Lem, Lui/Samwald, Chi Chung Mak, Nhan Nguyen, Marlin Oliveros, Midi Onodera, Chick Rice, Ruby Truly, Henry Tsang, Tamio Wakayama, Jim Wong-Chu, Jin-me Yoon and Sharyn Yuen

Yellow Peril: Reconsidered

The present book documents the exhibition "Henry Tsang: The Crowning" at the Contemporary Art Gallery (March 30 to May 11, 1996). Includes an analysis by Jeff Derksen and an essay by Scott Toguri McFarlane. 

Henry Tsang

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