TURN Gallery is pleased to present THE CASE OF A STRANGE WOMAN, Li Jun’s first solo exhibition in the gallery’s main space, opening Thursday, September 12, 2024 reception from 6 - 8 pm.

Painted in her Vienna and Changsha studios, Li Jun investigates the role of females in fairytales, subverting and heightening perceptions, as if reflecting them in a magic mirror. Through an expansion of her interest in symbolism of domestic objects, Jun introduces a female protagonist in the form of a bladed-leg. Drawing from the 19th century pocket knife design carved to resemble a woman’s leg, this tool was originally intended for women’s use in their household tasks. Minimally functional and highly decorative, this accessory reflected the Victorian era's associations of women as mere ornaments or secondary utilitarian objects. In THE CASE OF A STRANGE WOMAN, Li Jun transforms history turning her female character into an empowered and auspicious blade. 

“In most fairy tales, the female is a passive character who falls into danger and waits to be rescued. My female character is double-edged. Danger and hope coexist, bringing the possibility of new perspectives... I re objectify her. Looking to explore past narratives through continuously evolving interpretations and modern retellings, I hope to shine an empowered depiction of women's reflections on themselves.”

 In this exhibition, Jun pierces through a world where a moment has ended and a new story begins. Her protagonist wanders confidently through a seemingly abandoned, grandiose home, mysteriously populated with a mystical assortment of larger than life animals and objects— pearls, frogs, snails, fruit, and teeth. Placing viewers within her liminal spaces these items are stripped of their context, time is suspended, and reality unfurls emphasizing irony and self-reflexivity into a broader cultural and historical context.

Born in Changsha, China in 1994, Li Jun received her BFA from the China Academy of Art, and is currently in graduate school at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Her works have been most recently exhibited in an upcoming group exhibition at Room 57 Gallery, New York; Gallery Krinzinger Schottenfeld, Vienna; Gallery Func, Shanghai; CCA Andratx, Mallorca; Art Lab Center, Beijing; Gallery the Tigerroom, Munich; Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai; Powerlong Museum, Shanghai; BONIAN Space, Beijing; and the Turn Gallery Parlour Room, New York. 

THE CASE OF A STRANGE WOMAN will open Wednesday September 12th from 6 - 8 pm. The show will be on view until Saturday October 19th. We are located on the 2nd floor of 32 East 68th Street NY, NY 10065. The gallery is open Wednesday - Saturday 12 - 6pm. For further information, contact Annika at ap@turngallerynyc.com.