On the evening of Friday, December 16th, over 200 guests of the Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery witnessed the creation of Blindfold Inner Spirit Art Medicine by Chinese contemporary artist, Jon Tsoi. The Gallery hosted one of its highly acclaimed and attended opening parties, launching Jon Tsoi's first one man show.

Donning a blindfold and brandishing a sledge hammer and serrated blade, Tsoi began the very artistic process that has earned him nearly 270,000 hits on YouTube. Tsoi is the first contemporary artist to so uniquely combine the practice of Taoism with his art, and the use of the blindfold aids the artist in creating work that relies solely on inward expression. His cuts on the canvas call to mind a comparison to Lucio Fontana, the father of Spatialism. However, unlike Fontana, Tsoi's slashes are not calculated, but are done through the process of meditation, the artist never truly knowing where each cut will fall.

Following Tsoi's performance and lecture, the Gallery awarded its Annual Agent of Change in the Arts Awards to one of its cornerstone collectors, Kabir Valencia, and to the minds behind the Arts & Culture blog Culture Cache, Scott Gargan and Christina Hennessey.

Next Show: Rex Prescott Walden's solo exhibition, To Italy, on Friday, February 3, 2012. Qualified collectors can arrange for a private viewing with the gallery. All others, see you that Friday for the opening party! www.flalvarezgallery.com