Angela Tay
Biography
A funded Penaga Artist Residency in George Town, Malaysia and the passing of her eldest brother in Malaysia at the same time in 2015 marked the turning point in her art practice. Angela realized that an interdisciplinary art practice that combines and transforms her lifelong explorations- traditional Chinese visual art, in particular wild grass style calligraphy and internal martial arts, could better communicate her concerns about issues of population movements and how affected individuals deal with change. Angela now produces short videos and live performances to illustrate this.
Angela spent her early years as a Chinese-Malaysian, and in her teens came to school in Australia. Her cultural identity has always been in a state of flux. Her connections and art have been influenced by Australian landscapes, from the oceans to the mountains and deserts, and her memories of the environments and landscapes of South East Asia.
Angela is currently based in Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. She has been exhibiting her work in Australia and overseas since 2000. She has explored paintings, installations, hanging sculptures, ceramics, videos and performances. All her works are based on one essential element- movement of intrinsic vital energy, either visible or invisible. This energy or Qi is present in all living things, captured in her water-based ink works which are connected to Australian environmental elements. This connection is vital for Angela’s sense of belonging.
In Red Mangrove Grey Mangrove (2024), She uses her body as a brush to illustrate fluidity of movements generated by basic principles of traditional Chinese brush work and Taiji in performance. She also uses two different mangrove environments and their endemic fish species to show consolidation between cultures and nations in her video and performance.
At Manning Regional Art Gallery NSW in 2019, Angela exhibited ‘Movements and Impermanence’ which included a short video, and an installation with live performance choreographed and performed by herself. As in her 2017 exhibition Angela references the intertidal communities of the mid-north coast to reflect on belonging and world population movements.
For her solo exhibition at Coffs Harbour Regional Art Gallery NSW in 2017, again Angela referenced intertidal communities, and extended the theme of change and impermanence. The exhibition included paintings of rock pools on Xuan paper, 2 hanging installations, a short video titled ‘Pipi a Fish Out of Water’ and a related interactive installation. The latter two commented on the diversity and inclusiveness of Australian society.
In 2014 she was in a two-person show titled ‘Microcosm’ at Grafton Regional Art Gallery NSW. She exhibited paintings produced by squirting, throwing ink, watercolour and water on Chinese Xuan paper. These were steps toward capturing change and growth, and their inherent impermanence through more elaborated gestural movements and a performative approach to painting.
Since 2000 Angela has been involved in different art projects and group exhibitions, one of which travelled to various cities in China and was shown in Australia from 2002-4. Between 2004 and 2019 she held eight solo exhibitions in Sydney and the Mid-north coast of New South Wales, exploring a diversity of media. Including paintings, hanging sculptural installations and videos. Angela addresses issues of belonging and home, the burden of many immigrants like herself. Her exhibition, ‘longing/belonging’ at the Glasshouse Regional Art Gallery at Port Macquarie in 2010 looked to conciliate her immediate environment with memories of family and connections. Another solo exhibition at Coffs Harbour Regional Art Gallery in 2013 further examined belonging, exploring essences of classical Chinese philosophy and aesthetic practices of brush and inks and their relevance to life in contemporary Australia.