Savanna Center, Belwin Conservancy, Afton, MN
September 10-October 4
Open Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, 12-4pm
This fall, Belwin presents a gallery exhibition, Worlds Within Worlds, featuring the work of painter Suyao Tian.
In this exhibition, Suyao Tian will present a series of abstract, water-based paintings that respond to the natural rhythms and quiet presence of Belwin. Worlds Within Worlds is ultimately about connection — between visible and invisible realities, between humans and nonhuman life, between imagination and memory, and between the intimate and the infinite. Every system, being, memory, landscape, or form contains another hidden world inside it — layered, interconnected, and continuously unfolding.
Suyao Tian’s artistic language is deeply shaped by her childhood experiences growing up as a single child during China’s one-child policy in the 1980s. “Cultural expectations and a highly competitive, exam-oriented education system emphasized memorization over critical thinking and imagination, affecting both school and family life for an entire generation. For me, the absence of siblings, the inability to have pets, and limited social interaction led to isolation and a lack of confidence. Nature became my primary source of communication and emotional expression. As a child, I spent time collecting small insects, placing them in jars, talking to them, and playing with them—they became my earliest listeners.”
This exhibition will be on view at the Savanna Center at 795 Indian Trail S. Afton, MN 55001 from September 10 to October 4. An Artist Reception will be hosted at the Savanna Center on Sunday, September 20th, 5-7pm as well as an Artist Talk on Sunday, September 27th, 3-4pm.
Belwin’s Savanna Hills will be open to public hiking during gallery hours. This is a special opportunity to explore this restored landscape, which is usually closed to the public. Savanna Hills is home to a sprawling oak savanna, one of our region’s most threatened native ecosystems, the parcel contains rolling hills, expansive vistas, and wetlands.
Artists Featured: Suyao Tian
Additional information: https://belwin.org/visit/arts-culture-and-ecology/