Origins juxtaposes the work of two Chinese artists, Cui Fei and Taca Sui, whose understanding of Chinese culture has been profoundly affected and intensified by their long residence in the United States. Cui Fei moved to America in 1996 and Taca Sui currently divides his time between New York and Beijing. From their vantage point in New York, both artists are motivated by a desire to go back to the origins of Chinese civilization, Cui Fei through focusing on the links between calligraphy and forms from the natural world and Taca Sui through the search for the remaining vestiges of ancient Chinese cultural values in remote corners of China. Unlike Cui Fei who finds her raw materials locally in the natural environment wherever she happens to be, Taca Sui travels widely but both artists look beyond the physical evidence for deeper meanings.

Although not personally acquainted, Cui Fei and Taca share a sensibility that makes a juxtaposition of their respective oeuvres a highly enlightening experience for the viewer. Cui Fei’s responsiveness to the processes of nature illuminates Taca Sui’s evocative photographs in the same way that the photographs provide a context for Cui Fei’s use of tendrils and sand as both medium and subject.