UngCha

The Other Wedding Banquet

Thomas VanDyke Gallery is pleased to present The Other Wedding Banquet by Taiwanese artist UngCha, which will be his debut solo exhibition at the gallery and in New York City. The exhibition, which will coincide with LGBTQ+ Pride month (June) is themed around the traditional Taiwanese wedding banquet, and will feature two sections: “The Banquet”, and “The Bridal Chamber”. The exhibition will showcase installations of soft sculptures and paper-cut works. UngCha incorporates dark humor and twists  into his pieces, focusing on gender, traditional values, and cultural conflicts. The exhibition also pays homage to Taiwanese director Ang Lee's 1993 film The Wedding Banquet, prompting audiences to contemplate the social challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community from past to present. In the context of 2024, the exhibition raises questions about the true equality of gender diversity. 

UngCha (b. 1992) is a multidisciplinary visual artist born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and based in Taipei. His diverse artistic style incorporates mediums  like sculpture, painting, installations, video, and photographic painting. He specialized in approaching topics  from psychological and sociological perspectives in unconventional way. He is aiming to deconstruct the  ideology of a single-gender dominated society and reinterpret the roles of diverse gender groups within social  structures. His works often blend dark humor with a playful style, reflecting challenges to traditional social  identities and showcasing his unique philosophical thoughts and worldview.

UngCha, a former occupational therapist, approaches his artistic journey from psychological and sociological perspectives. He believes that many unspoken words profoundly influence our lives, and that art  can express these truths. The Other Wedding Banquet challenges traditional social norms, and is  encouraging viewers to reconsider and interpret the contradictions between old and new values. Holding dual master's degrees in Occupational Therapy from Kaohsiung Medical University and Communications Design from Shih Chien University, he currently serves as a lecturer in the Department of  Communications Design at Shih Chien University in Taipei. He has transitioned from a career as an occupational therapist after encountering traumatic events with patients and their families. This experience led to the development of vicarious trauma, marking his entry into the art world. Through art, he transformed trauma into a healing strength and a medium for expression. His award winning work has been shown widely in Asia, and is in several notable private collections. His piece piece Strength was featured in the 2021 European art magazine King Kong Garçon, issue 6: Obsession.