BENEDICT YU

Benedict Yu is a Taiwanese Singapore-based multi-disciplinary artist, researcher, and cultural manager who works in virtual reality, painting, and installation. In his work, Yu draws from his Buddhist-Christian background and his interest in hauntology, spirituality, myth, and folklore, shaping an intimate creative discourse that overcomes bodily and spiritual contradictions. Influences Initially, Yu dedicated himself mainly to abstract painting. One of his earlier inspirations was the philosophy and way of working of the surrealist artist Andre Masson, especially his concept of automatism. Also, the boldness of the large, feet-painted paintings of post-war Japanese artist Gutai Kazuo Shiragais gave Yu a sense of permission and possibility. Themes Taking the liberating decision to move from Taiwan to Singapore to further his painting skills allowed him to define an essential new chapter in his work dedicated to hauntology, interpreted by Yu as a way that folklore, religious tropes, and mythology shape our identity. He deeply researched the narratives that underpin Taiwanese and Singaporean society, often unearthing common themes. This resulted in a rich body of intense abstract paintings and an essay, Curating Taiwan’s Hauntology – Towards New Sensibilities and Directions, that provides the intellectual background of the work of this period.

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