I first encountered Konnyu's works in the United States, in Palm Beach, Florida. Sunlight permeated the paintings on the wall in his studio. Approaching the large red images, the entire field of vision was filled and dominated by a kind of glowing surface like an energy explosion. In his paintings with shades of blue, the primal power of the ocean a few meters from the studio, the wonderful colors of the water conveyed a real ancient power and feeling.  In the air washed crystal clear by the Florida sunlight and the ocean breeze, the colors lived a life of their own and shone. This special energy, which originates and flows from the power of the sun and the ocean, permeates and energizes everything on earth. The sensitive artist feels all this and is able to display it in his inspired moments.

 

This all-pervading energy can often be felt in China, where an incredibly fast developing economy and country is being built. Sensing and understanding it, I began researching its origins and thus experienced and learned that everything in China is influenced, permeated and influenced by the Tao.  Originally, the Tao means a specific, defined path, which it also means the path of the stars in the sky, but it also means the wise path that leads to a goal, to the order and law prevailing in everything. As a result of all this, most Chinese philosophers endow the Tao with substantial properties, which are objectively and identically identified with the refined primordial matter itself, which has endowed the Tao with a kind of magical power over time, because with its penetrating knowledge even the prolongation of life, the levitation, or invisibility, maybe even eternal life. Tao can be conveyed through art, painting, calligraphy and Zen. The perfect unity, the permanent expressions of spontaneity, is the Tao. Exactly as in Konnyu's works, the works of art were created spontaneously in his meditative states. The secret of true painting lies in this perception. True painting is ultimately not just a function of the physical movement of the hand or fingers. Real painting can only be achieved through the soul flowing into them. In fact, the soul is the Tao.

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Art works similarly to mediums, it can convey interpretable information from the invisible world, from the collective subconscious, something to say that cannot be conveyed using only the tools of the arts. Konnyu creates his works in a meditative state, just as the Tao can be perceived in a meditative state, and can only be displayed when it becomes a substance. As a curator, I organized several exhibitions for Konnyu in Europe, the USA, as well as in the mainland cities of Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Xi'an and many other places.

 

The closeness to nature, ecological and innovative approach of the Yuleai Art Museum building had a great impact on me. It is a pleasure to dream up a large exhibition in this space. Water is present in the museum, light permeates the building, and the location was adequate for presenting the works of Konnyu. If we examine the genres, we can see the ubiquitous meditative works in a harmony of method. The closeness to nature, ecological and innovative approach of the Yuleai Art Museum building had a great impact on me. It is a pleasure to dream up a large exhibition in this space. Water is present in the museum, light permeates the building, and the location was adequate for presenting the works of Konnyu.  The large floor area of the museum gave the opportunity to present the entire spectrum of Konnyu's works. Therefore, in addition to paintings, digital works, installations, sculptures, graphics and video works created in accordance with the spirit of the age were also presented as an excellent opportunity. All of these are also expressions of the artist's need for completeness.

 

If we examine the genres, we can see the harmony of the ubiquitous meditative creative method. The world of emotions researched by Rorschach tests is manifested in his digital works. In his paintings, the ancient forces emerging from the collective subconscious can be felt. According to the Chinese concept, "Chi Yun", i.e, the breath of life or soul, must be present in a painting; so the mere painting technique is not enough. "Chi Yun" permeates nature. The artist must be saturated with this living force so that his work affects the senses of the beholder.  The visualization of the heart installation arranged in spheres with the installation mirrors, direct lighting, heartbeat sound effects provides an opportunity for special meditation. The hidden source of inspiration is the Tao. In ancient Greek times, the works of the artists and poets of that society were attributed to inspiration from the gods, and this inspiration was called "divine". The Japanese look for the source of poetry in the heart. The Chinese turn to the Tao for inspiration, which also comes from the heart.  The audiovisual room, which provides a special visual world, is an excellent opportunity to present the works created during Konnyu's film and television career. With the tools of movement, the human body, and modern dance, he manifests his original ideas in moving images, which talk about human relationships, love, and the importance of art in the great cycle of life. His graphic genre is inherently meditative, the initial display forms of Konnyu's thoughts, thus the imprint of undistorted primary feelings. Thus, it is one of the important elements of the exhibition.

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In the past five years, Konnyu's works have been exhibited in many Chinese cities in museums and galleries in China, in thirty great and important locations. As a matter of fact, it can be said that Konnyu is a foreign artist who has exhibited the most to the Chinese audience in the past five years. The reception and enjoyment of his abstract works in this vast country and in this wonderful museum is probably due to the meditative nature of their work, which resonates with Eastern culture and thus with the omnipresent Tao.

 

Laszlo Erdesz

Curator, Cultural Anthropologist, Forensic Painting Expert

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