Three sisters, three visions

When I first walked into b. sakata garo at 923 20th Street to see the gallery’s current show, I enjoyed it very much. On display are works by three Chinese artists, each with a different take on the art-making process and a different approach toward dealing with issues surrounding Eastern and Western cultures. The pieces that seem to illustrate the cultural tension most clearly are direct and representational—a large painting of a fork and knife placed next to a set of chopsticks is a good example. Instead of coming off as trite, the image is direct and sincere. It doesn’t ask specific questions and doesn’t state anything with certainty. What fascinated me most about the show hit me when I got home and looked at the postcard. The three Chinese artists are sisters: Hong, Bo and Ling Zhang. This is astonishing, because the three seemed to have little in common stylistically and were equally strong. Artistic strength must run in the family.