Axel Vervoordt Gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in Asia of American artist Ann Leda Shapiro at its Hong Kong space. Body is Landscape brings together a historical work from 1980 alongside a series of recent paintings highlighting the central concerns of Shapiro’s practice: advocacy, care and the interplay between personal experience and the wider world.

Shapiro emerged as an artist during the feminist art movement of the 1960s and 1970s, a period when her work engaged directly with questions of gender, social justice and the visibility of women in society. Her early practice combined sharp social awareness with a commitment to care, laying the foundation for a lifelong exploration of how art can respond to and reflect upon the broader human condition.

In the 1980s, Shapiro’s volunteer work at an acupuncture clinic for AIDS patients in Austin, Texas, introduced her to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Its holistic understanding of the body as an interconnected ecosystem profoundly influenced her approach to both life and art. The philosophies and ideas which inform this practice became central to her visual and conceptual vocabulary, offering new ways to represent transformation, tension and harmony.

Central to this newfound vocabulary is the concept of qi – the vital life force that courses through the body’s meridians. Shapiro describes this as “matter on the verge of becoming.” Her compositions reflect its dynamic nature, with each artwork embodying the constant state of flux that characterizes the flow of qi. Sustaining this energy flow is the delicate balance of yin and yang – forces that embody brightness and darkness, birth and death, stillness and motion. These dualities resonate deeply in Shapiro’s work, where yin and yang are not oppositional forces, but rather, two that form complementary parts of a unified whole. She renders the dynamic essence of qi and the delicate balance of yin and yang in paintings that are both sensorial and conceptual, capturing energy glows and relational dynamics without relying on literal representation.

The diagnostic principles of Chinese medicine, which focus on detecting subtle imbalances, further provided Shapiro new tools to “diagnose” disturbances in the world — from environmental crises to social and political upheavals. Several works in the exhibition directly address ecological and social concerns, merging anatomical and natural imagery. She highlights not only external destruction but also the destructive potential of inner turmoil — what she calls the “fire not containing water” that can consume us from within. These pieces extend the ethos of care that has been present throughout her career, from personal advocacy in the feminist movement, to a broader consideration of social and planetary well-being.

A key focus of Shapiro’s recent paintings presented in Body is Landscape is the deconstruction and reconstruction of the natural world, particularly through the motif of the tree. For the artist, trees are more than elements of a landscape; they are “refracted self-portraits.” In her works, they become metaphors for the human body; their roots mirroring the intricate network of veins and nerves, their branches extending like limbs seeking sustenance and connection. Rendered as soft, rippling silhouettes, these forms embody a compelling duality of strength and fragility, reflecting not only the intrinsic nature of earthly existence but also the interconnectedness that binds all life. The sense of oneness woven throughout Shapiro’s work resonates with Buddhist philosophy and the Gaia hypothesis, embracing life as an unending flow of energy and relational connections.

By integrating her artistic practice and medical experience, Shapiro has developed a body of work that is visually compelling, intellectually rigorous and deeply reflective. Body is Landscape invites viewers to engage with both historical and ongoing concerns of her practice, encountering the subtle forces that shape individuals, communities, and the natural world.