Qualia Contemporary Art is pleased to present Lyric Abstraction: Hami and Home, a solo exhibition of paintings by David Frazer. The artist’s second show at the gallery will feature abstract oil paintings, including a distinct body of work inspired by the desert town of Hami in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwestern China. A critical gateway between the East and the West along the Silk Road, Hami is one of two separate conditions for which the exhibition is named. Home, alternatively, refers to Frazer’s life in Providence, RI, not only as an accomplished artist and Professor Emeritus at Rhode Island School of Design, but also as a husband, father of three, and grandfather of five. Lyric Abstraction: Hami and Home will be open to the public from April 5 – May 19, 2023, with an opening celebration hosted on April 8th from 4:30 – 6:30 PM PST.
In 2019, Frazer traveled from Beijing to Hami by train – a journey that catalytically spurred an entirely new visual and conceptual framework. This expanded perspective and its associated reflections developed into the series of “Hami” works on view in the exhibition. While Frazer had spent a great deal of time in the urban hubs of Eastern China, his trip to Hami showed him a wholly different China from what he had ever experienced or known. Struck by the stark beauty of the desert landscape, and the enduring humanity and cultural breadth in the midst of such harsh conditions, Frazer recalled the experience upon returning to his studio, allowing his memories to intuitively guide the direction of each work. The resulting canvases are intentionally simplified, the palette reminiscent of the hazy gradient between sand and sky, the brushwork linear and delicate. Frazer captures the sense of isolation and resilience that characterizes life in this remote part of the world, introducing these dimensions to his abstract iconography. Other works in the exhibition continue this meditation on solitude, reflecting upon the sense of isolation experienced on a global scale during the COVID-19 pandemic, and on a personal level in Frazer’s own life.
The artist encourages accidents, making sense of the unknown as he goes. The improvisational approach that Frazer has carefully honed over his decades-long studio practice evolves into an exciting new chapter with his “Hami” series. Lyric Abstraction: Hami and Home highlights Frazer’s established bodies of work alongside the “Hami” paintings, allowing for new dialogues to emerge from the exchange between the two series, and from the engagement of the local arts community in Palo Alto.
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