As cherry blossoms fade across Japan, a new bloom takes root in New York. Nicolas Auvray Gallery is proud to present In Full Bloom, the New York debut solo exhibition by Chen Yi Ching, one of the few contemporary artists practicing Nihonga, the refined tradition of Japanese painting, outside of Japan. Born in Taiwan, trained under master painters in Kyoto, and now based in Paris, Chen’s practice is shaped not by geography but by a commitment to precision, depth, and material sensitivity.

Her large-scale floral compositions, crafted from ground minerals, plant dyes, and gold leaf, blur the lines between ancient technique and contemporary sensibility. The result is a body of work that appears light and ethereal at first glance, yet reveals a material depth and historical resonance upon closer view.

“I wanted to go to the source of this art,” says Chen. “The minerals that make up the Nihonga pigments fascinate me—they give the work a special energy. Thanks to them, the painting has a velvety, sparkling quality that cannot be found in any other technique.”

While her paintings may initially appear like misty brushwork or even spray paint, a closer look reveals their unexpected physicality. Built layer by layer on washi paper with natural glues and minerals, her surfaces shimmer with nuance and quietly assert the labor, history, and devotion embedded in each piece. Her compositions echo Japanese screens, Chinese scroll painting, and the lyricism of European Impressionism. All synthesized through an intuitive, deeply personal visual language.