Mirrors of the Soul

- From Cultural Memory to Universal Identity

From 6th to 17th May 2026, at the historic Burgh House (New End Square, Hampstead NW3 1LT), we hosts a one‑week exhibition by the internationally acclaimed artist Liu Youju, with 4 artists from Taiwan & UK, curated by Professor Wendy Wan with curatorial partner Shane Day.

This exhibition, centered on “mirroring” and “illusion,” examines how contemporary identities are revisited, reconstructed, and deconstructed amid the currents of globalisation. Internationally acclaimed pioneer of the Illusionist painting movement, Liu Youju, presents his latest series of works and, together with 4 artists from Taiwan & UK, constructs a cross-regional, multi-voiced visual dialogue drawn from diverse cultural, geographical, and personal experiences.

Liu Youju

A pioneer of Illusionist Painting, Liu’s vivid works—swirling strokes, ambiguous silhouettes and cosmic symbols—have mesmerised audiences at the Louvre, the Pompidou and, most recently, the Cameroon Pavilion of the 2024 Venice Biennale. Honoured with the Michelangelo International Prize (2019) and appointed Honorary Academic of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno (2021), Liu continues to ignite dialogues on humanity’s shared essence.

For this special London appearance, around twenty recent paintings will transform Burgh House’s Georgian rooms into a kaleidoscopic chamber of reflection. Viewers are invited to look “through” each canvas as a mirror, confronting the shifting relationship between individual identity and collective consciousness.

Patty Lin 林霈媞

Patty Lin 林霈媞 is a Taiwan-born abstract painter whose bold colour palettes, dynamic brushwork, and emotive compositions have captivated audiences at Taipei’s Zhongshan Hall, London’s Peggy Jay Gallery, and beyond. A published author and university lecturer, she has spoken at the United Nations Gender Equality Conference and serves as Vice President of the Macau International Cultural Association.

With a digital following, i.e. FB/IG, exceeding 780,000 ppl, Lin seamlessly blends fine art with brand collaborations—from designing wine labels for Australia’s premier vineyards to creating immersive installations for public venues.

《Becoming 成形之中》

《Defined 界線之上》

Kate Huang 黃韶琴

Kate Huang is a trailblazer of "Mind-Heart Integrated" medical art, whose dynamic creations have captivated audiences at the Monaco Art Fair, Madrid Contemporary Art Week, and in her solo exhibition at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (2024). Honoured with the UNESCO Sovereign Artistic Award (2022) and appointed Honorary Artist of the Accademia Internazionale per l'Arte e la Cultura (2023), Huang continues to ignite global conversations on gender equality, holistic healing, and human resilience.

Taking "New Eastern Sensibility — Flowers in the Mirror, Moon on the Water" as its theme, this exhibition presents Kate Huang's signature "Mind-Heart Integrated" medical art vocabulary: neuron-inspired brushstrokes, regenerative motifs, and vivid symbolic flora, woven together with Eastern calligraphic characters to articulate a profound East-West cultural fusion. Through layered painting techniques, accumulated pigments symbolize strata of memory — each layer transforming into ever-new patterns that merge with calligraphic script — forging new meanings and sparking the collision and resonance between Eastern and Western civilisations.

鏡 Mirror

花 Flower

水 Water

月 Moon

劉千鈺 Chienyu Liu

London based photographer from Taiwan.

With a background in New Media Art ( TNUA, 2018 ), and currently completing an MA in photography at LCC ( UAL ).

Her work is rooted in photography, which serves both as the foundation and the primary tool for my creative process. Through the medium of images, trying to explore a wide range of artistic possibilities, often delving into interdisciplinary spaces.

The themes of her work frequently focus on land identity, folk culture, and personal experiences,

offering a deeper reflection on these subjects.

Lynn Huang 黃珈琳

Lynn Huang is an artist whose practice spans art consultancy, curation, and independent creation. Her abstract paintings feature layered brushstrokes, restrained yet dynamic colors, and rhythmic compositions, balancing rationality and sensibility. Poetic emotion and precise conceptual structures coexist, offering viewers Huang’s unique contemporary interpretations.

A Goldsmiths, University of London & Taipei National University of the Arts graduate, Huang has collaborated with premier galleries and foundations in European cities such as London and Rome, and built a prominent career in key Asian art hubs including Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing, etc. Her works include a series of ink paintings and calligraphy, with two decades of artistic exploration, compellingly explore contemporary identity, memory, and cultural fluidity.

Curatorial Introduction

Mirrors of the Soul: From Cultural Memory to Universal Identity

At the heart of this exhibition lies the mirror as a central metaphor. It invites us to explore the profound relationship between cultural memory, ancestral heritage, personal identity, and the shared experiences that connect humanity across time and place. Bringing together artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and generations, the exhibition presents mixed-media works, paper-woven paintings, charcoal drawings, and illusionist visual languages. Through these varied artistic practices, cultural symbols, lived memories, and spiritual experiences are preserved, transformed, and reimagined within the field of contemporary art.

If a mirror reflects the outward image, then art reflects something far deeper: the inner world of experience and the cultural memories that shape who we are. Each artwork is not only an expression of the artist’s personal journey, but also a refraction of the cultural, historical, and ancestral memories it carries. As viewers encounter these works, they are also invited to turn their gaze inward and ask: Where do we come from? What memories have shaped us? Across different cultures, generations, and identities, can we discover a deeper form of human resonance?

This exhibition does not seek to erase cultural difference. Rather, it opens a space in which difference itself becomes a pathway toward mutual understanding and universal identity. From cultural memory to universal identity, this is not only an art exhibition, but also a journey of looking - toward the self, toward the other, toward inheritance, and toward our shared humanity.

Visitor Information

Dates: 6 May (Wed) – 17 May 2025 (Sun)
Private View & Reception: Tuesday 5 May, 6 - 8 PM
Opening Hours: 11 AM – 5 PM daily (open Bank Holiday Monday)
Venue: Burgh House & Hampstead Museum, New End Square, Hampstead, London NW3 1LT
Transport: 5‑minute walk from Hampstead Station (Northern Line); limited local parking
Press & General Enquiries: sday@thekip.org / wendy@thekip.org

Free entry. All events subject to capacity.

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