LYN LIU: H-DROPPING

Kasmin presents a solo exhibition of new work by Lyn Liu (b. 1993, Beijing), on view at Casa Siza in Mexico City.

February 4 - March 28, 2025

H-Dropping consists of 11 paintings that depict contradictory or nonfunctioning states of being, each exploring the psychological experience of the uncanny. The exhibition has been realized by Liu to encompass all three exhibition galleries of Casa Siza, a gallery and residence designed by renowned Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, and coincides with the opening of Zona Maco and Mexico City Art Week. On the occasion of Liu’s exhibition, Kasmin Books will publish a limited-edition, fully-illustrated artist’s book featuring an original text by critic and essayist Jenny Wu.

Liu’s new works are inspired by a linguistic phenomenon found among language speakers across the world, in which dropping the sound of a consonant distinguishes particular dialects.

Liu encountered the practice of “H-dropping” when studying English and French—languages she has adopted since living and working in New York and while she attended l’École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

Regional and cultural distinctions often determine whether the letter “H” becomes obsolete in the pronunciation of certain words, even if it continues to appear in the spelling. One’s adherence to the practice becomes a marker of their belonging to a particular group, whether by assimilation or alienation.