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second nature

Hiroshi Nagai Youjin Yi Kenix Liang

VILLEPIN is pleased to announce the opening of its new exhibition, Second Nature, featuring works by Hiroshi Nagai, Youjin Yi, and Kenix Liang. In a moment defined by ecological fragility and accelerating change, this exhibition explores how these three artists construct diverse universes – personal yet expansive worlds as ways to navigate environmental uncertainty, rapid technological advancement, and social instability. 

Through distinct visual languages, these artists shape ecosystems both intimate and expansive – “second natures” – where perception becomes an instrument for survival. By shifting scales, dissolving boundaries between inner and outer worlds, and revealing what contemporary life often obscures, the works invite viewers to reconsider what feels truly natural.  

Within this framework, Hiroshi Nagai’s radiant skies and tranquil coastlines capture the elusive sensation of summer – a timeless moment that evokes harmony and calm, a quiet resilience amid constant change. Upon arriving in California, the artist encountered “scenes such as palm trees, blue skies, and greenery reflecting in the light” that only added to his emotional memory of those places. When looking at his works, audiences felt the nostalgic lens of these scenes which never existed. The works feel immediately familiar yet placeless, as if suspended in a hazy ambiguity between memory and imagination. 

Youjin Yi creates an inner world of sensation and subconscious experience, which she describes as a “library of the heart”. Her paintings feature motifs from nature, including animals, trees, and water, depicted as emotional presences rather than symbols, carrying innocence, authenticity, and mystery. Her intuitive process blurs the boundaries between self and environment, resulting in works that feel spiritual and immersive, rooted in gesture and emotional structure. 

Kenix Liang transforms overlooked organisms – plants, insects, and terrestrial forms – into monumental presences. Her works offer a meditative counterpoint to survival through coexistence rather than domination. By magnifying the overlooked and revealing hidden complexities, her visual language opens pathways to alternative realities, new modes of belonging, and a continuum of transformation and resilience. 

Curated into interconnected sections, Second Nature offers a multifaceted portal for contemplating adaptation and resilience. Here, nature is not a single landscape but a network of systems, whether that be biological, psychological, or spiritual. From microscopic organisms and primordial life forms to subconscious terrains and symbolic animal presences, the exhibition reflects a shared inquiry into adaptation and coexistence.  

Open to the public from 3 February to 8 March 2026, VILLEPIN invites you to experience this exhibition, where nature is reimagined as a site of transformation and survival. 

Exhibition Opening: 3 February - 8 March 2026
Space: 53 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

Tuesday to Thursday | 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Friday | 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday | 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Closed on Mondays

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