SC Gallery is pleased to present “On the Edge of Passage”, the solo exhibition of IV Chan, featuring her latest series of textile relief sculptures. In this exhibition, Chan presents a meditation on modern fertility. Stepping through the threshold of myths, materiality and abstraction, she traces the enigmatic yet complementory ties between life and desire. “On the Edge of Passage” will open on September 20 and run till October 18.

Fertility is often considered as a female attribute in modern life. However the perception stands in stark contrast in the worldview of ancient Egyptian mythology. Within its tales of creation, male desire was believed to be the assertive reproductive force, whereby ejaculation, the emission of fluid, supplied the essence of life. Chan draws inspiration from the Egyptian religious belief by engaging with their wall reliefs of deities, namely the fertility god Min whose image is portrayed with a prominent erect penis. She extends her visual imagery by integrating flower motifs, suggesting ideas of rebirth and purity. Through an abundant usage of phallic, fluid-based and floral icons, Chan channels the ancient expression of creativity.

In her adaptation of provocative symbols, Chan carries on her inquiries into the notion of eroticism. She often frames the concept as an urge of transgression: a desire embodied in intimacy, which momentarily shatters the isolated self to bring forth a divine union that mirrors a symbolic death. By suggesting reproductive organs while hinting at a psychological quest beyond their biological functions, Chan highlights the paradoxical yet inseparable bond between existence and desire.

In terms of materiality, Chan continues the expression of anthropomorphic sculpture by stitching together multicoloured, soft padded wall reliefs composed of geometric patchworks. The geometric textile motif references the traditional Chinese patchwork style of Shuitianyi (水田衣, literally means "rice-paddy clothing"). This technique originated as rectangular patterns resembling the rice paddies (稻田), and is still visually apparent and practised among women of rural China.

The gridded structures also evokes Josef Albers’ Homage to the Square, in which nested squares serve as a disciplined format for demonstrating the relativity of colour perception. Similar to Albers, Chan also employs a repeated use of geometric motifs to explore how meaning and perception shift through context and proximity. Utilizing a craft historically tied to female domestic chores, she renders protruding phallic forms and bulges that dangle from seam openings or emerge along textile linings.

These soft organic forms are juxtaposed with fragmented mirrors and splashes of translucent, water-like substances. The combination of colourful soft textile, hard reflective surfaces and simulated bodily fluids deliberately constructs a complex interplay that is both optical and tactile, disorienting yet familiar, luring viewers to rediscover the intimate rhythms of life and awaken to the hidden energies within, where desire becomes a sacred pulse that shapes our existence and fuels creativity.