Le Voile des Illusions 2007

Chu Teh-Chun made “Le Voile des Illusions” with big, sweeping gestures and a watery palette of blues, yellows and greens that feel light, like a veil. I can imagine him in his studio, dripping paint and wiping it away, turning the canvas this way and that, searching for a composition that hovers between landscape and pure abstraction. I sympathize with Chu and his process. What was he thinking as he flicked that yellow paint across the bottom? Was he trying to find a balance between control and chance? It’s like he’s trying to capture something fleeting, like a memory or a dream. The more I look at this piece, the more it reminds me of Turner. Both artists use color and light to create a sense of atmosphere, but Chu brings something else to the table, a kind of calligraphic mark-making that feels both ancient and modern. These guys are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring each other across time. It’s a reminder that painting is never really finished, it just keeps evolving.