“Art Exhibit Featuring Lively Landscape Artwork That Reflects the Earth’s Elusive Aspects”
# **Su Yu-Xin’s “Searching the Sky for Gold” Delves into the Invisible Forces Influencing Our Environment**
Taiwanese artist [Su Yu-Xin](https://yuxinsu.com/) is celebrated for her talent in manifesting the invisible. Her artistry depicts ethereal aspects of the planet—such as air, smog, radiation, and geological transformations—through an innovative painting technique. Her newest exhibition, *Searching the Sky for Gold*, currently displayed at the [Orange County Museum of Art](https://ocma.art/) (OCMA) in Costa Mesa, California, signifies her initial solo museum showcase outside of Asia.
This collection broadens her ongoing exploration of pigment creation, landscape imagery, and the intricate, often hidden dynamics between natural and industrial influences. By sourcing her own pigments from both organic and synthetic substances, Su captures atmospheric and geological events, converting them into breathtaking artworks that serve as insights into the invisible layers of the Earth.
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## **Translating the Earth’s Components into Color**
Su perceives color as both an artistic medium and an investigation subject. She gathers unrefined materials like clay, minerals, soil, and botanical elements from sites such as Malibu, California, and Taiwan’s coastlines. Through techniques that replicate age-old pigment extraction methods—crushing, purifying, and blending—she produces a variety of colors.
This methodology forms an intriguing conceptual cycle. By crafting pigments from these materials, she ensures that the terrains she illustrates are physically integrated into her artworks. This outcome creates a tangible, physical bond between the matter and the image, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all natural elements.
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## **Animating the Invisible**
The artworks in *Searching the Sky for Gold* feature fluid, atmospheric arrangements that evoke both geological and meteorological phenomena. Su’s vibrant swirls of color allude to natural occurrences such as underground mine fires in Utah, the radioactive atmosphere of New Mexico, and California’s saline ocean winds. Her creations reveal that which is usually imperceptible—the invisible forces that shape our surroundings.
This approach situates Su’s artistry within a broader dialogue surrounding ecological awareness and humanity’s impact on the environment. By illustrating phenomena that might easily go unnoticed, she encourages audiences to reflect on the delicate equilibrium of the Earth’s systems and our place within them.
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## **A Symbolic Convergence of Art, Science, and Nature**
Su Yu-Xin’s investigation of color transcends mere visual appeal; it carries profound scientific and environmental significance. Through her tactile pigment creation and evocative artistry, she visualizes a linked world where seemingly invisible elements—ranging from pollution to natural gases and geological changes—are articulated.
Her use of both natural and synthetic components acknowledges the beauty of Earth’s fundamental materials while also addressing the repercussions of industrialization. Activities such as mining, refining, and processing—central to pigment production—are reflected in her examination of how these forces transform landscapes on a grand scale.
*Searching the Sky for Gold* prompts viewers to reevaluate their perception and interaction with the world. It transforms the unnoticeable into the observable, converting ephemeral atmospheric phenomena into meaningful visual experiences.
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## **Exhibition Information**
– **Artist**: Su Yu-Xin
– **Exhibition Title**: *Searching the Sky for Gold*
– **Location**: [Orange County Museum of Art](https://ocma.art/), Costa Mesa, CA
– **Dates**: January 31, 2025 – May 25, 2025
OCMA is presently hosting *Searching the Sky for Gold* in conjunction with *[Unearthed](https://ocma.art/exhibitions/unearthed/)*, an exhibition centering on ceramics and featuring artists Shuyi Cao, Tony Marsh, Keita Matsunaga, Yuji Ueda, and Masaomi Yasunaga. Together, these exhibitions provide distinct viewpoints on Earth’s materials, each examining unique artistic methodologies and interpretations of the natural world.
Su’s creations stand as a poetic reminder that art can illuminate the unseen, bridging the divide between the tangible and the ethereal in ways that challenge our understanding of the environment around us.
For further insights into Su Yu-Xin’s practice, explore [her website](https://yuxinsu.com/) or connect with her [on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/yuxinsu/).